We Found Love in a Hopeless Place
by LanaaLuthor
Summary: Chloe & Lex / Lionel specializes in human trafficking and kidnaps Chloe. Her only hope lies in his son, Lex, with whom she has a connection.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** We Found Love in a Hopeless Place

**Pairing:** Chlex

**Rating:** NC17

**Description:** Lionel specializes in human trafficking and kidnaps Chloe. Her only hope lies in his son, Lex, with whom she has a connection.

It's AU, the meteor shower in Smallville never occurred.

**Warnings**: NC17 There will be mentions of rape and abuse but nothing descriptive, only as an aftermath. Chloe will not be harm. And you will have to wait for the smut a little, because otherwise the plot wouldn't be plausible.

**No infringement intended. I do not own any Smallville characters. Only the plot of this fanfic, while stripped off all Smallville relations, is mine.**

* * *

**A/N **I thought I wouldn't beable to write anything more beside some one shots when it came to Chlex, but as always I was mistaken.

The idea for the entire plot came to me in a dream. Well, it didn't come without a "price". I'm suffering from a very painful throat infection and therefore, I'm forced to sit or lie at my home. I still suspect that I mixed too many different vitamins before going to sleep and that is why I dreamt such a strange dream, but… whatever:D The important part is that I have a next longer Chlex for you, guys!

* * *

Yellow diamonds in the light  
And we're standing side by side  
As your shadow crosses mine  
What it takes to come alive

It's the way I'm feeling I just can't deny  
But I've gotta let it go

We found love in a hopeless place  
We found love in a hopeless place (…)

Shine a light through an open door  
Love and life I will divide  
Turn away cause I need you more  
Feel the heartbeat in my mind

It's the way I'm feeling I just can't deny  
But I've gotta let it go

We found love in a hopeless place  
We found love in a hopeless place (…)

Rihanna

**A/N 2** Who knows, maybe I will make a short video to that song as a video or trailer for the fan fiction?

* * *

**Part 1**

She really didn't understand why her father moved to such a small town.

Yes, he was getting old, she could see it now, even when she refused to.

Gabe Sullivan wasn't a strong young man anymore, nor he was the amazing, full of vigor father to her. His life hadn't been easy since the moment his wife had left him and their little girl almost thirteen years ago.

He'd managed not to break completely, remained strong for his daughter, because she'd needed him.

She still needed him.

He'd been working very hard through all those years, so she could get the education she deserved and she really loved him for that.

Now, when Chloe Sullivan graduated from college and landed her dream job at the Daily Planet, her dad finally retired and bought a small but cozy house in Smallville.

Chloe was now on her way there, cursing that whole town in her mind.

She really liked spending time with her dad as he was the only family she had and yet, she had to drive six hours to get to him now. And she wouldn't move as she was a city girl and had now the job of her dream.

"Oh, you're just selfish, Chloe Sullivan," she told herself at loud. "Selfish and egoistic!" She remembered how hard her dad had been working. She'd done everything she could at the time to help him out a little bit. She'd been learning to get a scholarship, she'd been the editor of her high school and then university paper and add to that she'd been taking any available job she could.

Needless it was to say she'd had no personal life. She didn't even now as she kept running from one potential scoop to another. Everything to impress her boss at the Daily Planet, so she could have a promotion.

She wasn't interested in any guy at the moment, so why bother? She wasn't that kind of a girl that just hung out in bars in the nights or kept going to all the fancy parties to meet somebody. It just wasn't her, she would feel uncomfortable, what would resort in not attracting any guy at all. Because who would be attracted to the girl that couldn't have fun at such events?

Chloe suspected it was her mother's fault as since she'd left her, Chloe had had to grow up immediately. She'd matured really fast and considering that usually men were about two years behind girls in their age, then that would make Chloe…

She shook her head.

She was fine.

Maybe she was lonely, maybe sometimes, especially during her lonely nights she felt that deep urgent need for a man, need that was bothering her more and more.

But there was nothing she could do about it. She would never sleep with somebody just for the sake of sex. She had to be in love. Maybe she was old fashioned, but the very idea of a potential one night stand disgusted her.

She was also afraid she might not be able to love. If she was she would be in love by now, right?

She bit her lower lip while watching the road.

"No, don't think about it. Everybody's time comes eventually. You just have to be patient," she said at loud to cheer herself up. "You are successful, you graduated with the highest mark and you got a job in one of the best newspapers in the world. Success and career. That is you." She glanced at herself in the review mirror.

She looked alright.

Blond, curly hair reaching her arms, green eyes, quite pretty face.

Maybe she would prefer to lose a few pounds, but she preferred to look like that than like some anorectic girl with no boobs.

And she was pretty proud of her boobs.

Maybe her ass was a little too big, though.

But again, she read that men actually preferred such asses.

Chloe shook her head.

"Who do you want to impress with your look? Your dad?" She burst into laugh.

She was almost twenty two and the only man she was spending her time with was her aging father.

"Shit!" she suddenly reminded herself that she was supposed to bring some potted flower for her father's living room. And maybe some bottle of wine would be alright, too.

She already drove right pass the sign that was welcoming her to Smallville: the world capitol of corn.

"Corn? Really?" Chloe snorted and laughed at loud. "Maybe if I'm lucky I'll become a corn queen and some farmer will sweep me off my feet."

She kept laughing to herself as she finally got to the centre.

Which wasn't very impressive as she could easily predict.

Fortunately, she spotted a flower shop at the corner and a small supermarket a little further down the main road.

"Good."

She glanced at her watch as she parked the car on an abandoned parking lot. "Shit, I'm already late!" she cursed.

Her dad was fortunately used to the fact she usually kept running late. It wasn't really her fault, well, maybe a little. She just kept forgetting the obvious stuff like this small shopping right now. Her mind was constantly busy with potential stories to write.

The town must've really been small as it was barely 4 o'clock in the Saturday afternoon and there was no one on the street.

Chloe walked to the flower shop and entered it.

"Good morning," she said, trying to sound joyful. "Where do you have potted flowers?"

"On the right." The woman pointed her the direction.

"Thank you."

Chloe finally found it, but there weren't too many. After all she couldn't expect anything more from such a small town.

She finally picked some hyacinths that, according to her personal opinion, were the only one that didn't look poor.

She walked back to the woman behind the counter.

"Is it always so quiet here?" she asked her. "There's like no one out there."

"Oh, no," the woman smiled. "I see you're new to this town."

"Yes, I'm here to visit my father. He bought a house nearby."

"What's his name?"

"Gabe Sullivan."

"Oh, I've actually met him," the woman's face lightened up. "Very nice man."

"He is. He is a great dad as well."

Chloe was there for the first time, but she already thought she could maybe pair her father up with that woman? She was clearly under Gabe's charm.

"May I ask who are you?"

"Of course. My name is Nell Potter. I own the shop."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Chloe Sullivan."

They shook hands.

"So, Chloe," Nell started again, "you wanted to know if it's always so quiet here. No, it's not. Usually there are a lot of people in our centre as this is the only place we can shop or have some entertainment, but today is the day of the big game in Smallville High. Everybody's getting ready to go see the Crows, our team."

"Crows?" Chloe managed not to burst into laugh. She didn't want to alienate Nell.

But seriously, _a bird_ was their mascot?

"Ok, I need to go now. I'm already late," she finally said, paid for the flowers. "Thank you all your information. See you soon!"

When she found herself back at the street she thought she could put the plant in her car first and then go buy some wine as it was inconvenient to carry it around.

"Yeah, smart ass, you should've gone for the wine first," she scolded herself and went back to her car.

She finally placed it inside and locked the door.

Only she didn't manage to turn around to start in the direction of the shop, because somebody caught her and before she even screamed there was a wet cloth put to her mouth and…

…all there was was darkness…


	2. Chapter 2

I actually made a short video to this story. It's in my profile under the description of this story.

* * *

**Part 2**

Gabe Sullivan was worried.

It did lie in Chloe's nature to be late and he never scolded her for that, because he knew how hard his baby was working on her stories.

But an hour and a half? That was completely not like his daughter.

Something must've been wrong.

She either had to change a tire or had an accident or…

Gabe really didn't want to use any more of his imagination, because then he would really be terrified.

Instead, he just reached for his phone and dialed Chloe's number.

It was turned off.

He didn't lose it just yet. He called her apartment in Metropolis, then the Daily Planet.

Chloe didn't pick up and in the Planet they told him she had a free day.

What should he do?

* * *

There was a long painful moan escaping Chloe's mouth as she came to.

Her head was pounding so much that she couldn't focus on anything but the pain.

What had happened? Where was she?

She could hear some voice, but it was all dulled by the ache.

Then she involuntary remembered what had happened. Somebody had ambushed her on the parking lot.

Where was she now?

She moaned again as she tried to sharp her senses.

"Are you ok?" she finally understood what it was being said to her.

She opened her eyes, but then shot them immediately on the new wave of pain.

"Are you hurt?" The person that spoke to her must be a woman.

They were in the car, because Chloe could feel it moving characteristically.

And her hands along with her legs were tied up.

Now she was really terrified.

She decided to push through the pain and sit up.

They were on the back of a van. She and one more girl.

"Who are you? Where are we?" Chloe asked as she looked at her companion.

The girl must've been about her age. She was very pretty and had dark long hair.

"Lana Lang. I think we've been kidnapped."

"I'm Chloe Sullivan. Yeah, I think that, too. Any idea where we might be and why they would kidnap us?"

Lana shook her head.

"I have none. I was visiting my parents' grave before going to the game. Somebody just grabbed me from behind and put some cloth to my mouth. The next thing I know I'm here, waking up right next to you."

"The same happened to me. It must've been chloroform," Chloe said and tried to think, what was hard since her head was still bothering her. "We need to try to get rid of these," she said and started trying to get off the ropes. That only caused her more pain as her wrists were already sore.

"I've already tried," Lana sighed. "They're too tight. I can barely feel my arms now."

"Why us?!" Chloe raised her frustrated voice and winced at the pain that came with it. "What do we have in common? It can't be for ransom. I'm all my father's got, but he's not rich."

"All my aunt's got is me and her shop."

"Wait… Nell Potter?" Chloe stopped struggling and took a closer look at Lana's face.

"You know her? Maybe we could find a connection and…"

"No, I just met her today. This is the first time I'm in Smallville," Chloe admitted. "It's just a weird coincidence."

"Or we were both easy victims," Lana noticed. "Where were when they took you?"

"On a parking lot. Alone."

"So if they don't want a ransom and they just picked two young women out of the street…" Lana started, but didn't finish. Her eyes opened widely. "I'm even more scared now."

"I think we both should be," Chloe said. "I'm a reporter. This is a classic kidnapping for organs or…"

"Or what?" the brunette asked, hoping for a better alternative.

"Prostitution? Slavery? I don't know. Pick one."

"Oh god."

Chloe could see her new friend breaking.

"You have to be strong," she told her, trying to sound soothing. "You have to. That's the only way we can even begin to think up some strategy. We must get out. We must run."

"I just…" Lana shook her head and cried. "I just want to come back to Clark."

"Who's Clark?" Chloe asked while looking around and trying to assess the weak points of the van.

"My boyfriend. We're engaged. We would be getting married in a month if not… God!"

"Lana, please, stay strong! Do not break!" Chloe repeated while raising her voice.

It was all futile. Lana was a wreck.

"So I'm on my own," Chloe sighed.

"I don't want to die!" Lana was crying her eyes out, her whole body was shaking. "I want to be happy… want to have kids… I…"

"Lana…" but Chloe never finished what she was going to say, because the van jerked to a sudden stop and they were both sent to the other end, painfully crashing against the wall.

Then somebody opened the back door and the light that came through blinded Chloe so much that the pain in her head doubled and she had to close her eyes.

Then she was being dragged out of the car and carried somewhere.

"No! Let me go!" She tried to free herself, but knew it was all futile. Even if they did let her go, then how she would run while tied up?

She fought through the pain and noticed a huge shape of… a plane.

"Oh no! NO!" she screamed.

If they were going to smuggle her abroad she would definitely be cut into pieces for organs or sold out for prostitution.

"No!" This time her inhibitions let go as Lana's and she begun to cry.

She saw her dad in her mind. Her poor dear dad. He'd been working so hard, so she would get the best education and a chance at life that he'd never really had himself.

He loved her so much. She was all he'd got and vice versa.

Now he would lose her and never find out what happened to her.

It was excruciating. Chloe's heart broke and she felt like it would never be mended again.

Losing her meant death for her father. He would search, he would never stop, then his health would deteriorate and he would certainly die of a heart attack.

Chloe couldn't stand the thought of that.

And Lana. Chloe now understood why she'd started to cry in the van. She'd been awake a little longer than Chloe had. She would lose her future husband, her aunt.

Chloe had never been in love, but she'd seen love on people's faces, she'd also seen tragedy. The latter even more as she was a reporter. Losing the one you loved was the most painful thing…

She stopped struggling for good, her body limp in strangers' hands.

Then she was put in a seat, the belt clicked. They cut her ropes, but before the blood started flowing in her hands and legs, they handcuffed her to the seat.

The pain finally receded enough to let her see.

She gulped.

There was about twenty, twenty five girls on the plane. Chloe suspected that most of them weren't from Smallville, but Smallville was the last stop. The place from the kidnappers could take off without notice.

After all, there was nothing but corn fields around and the plane stood on an abandoned airstrip.

Chloe thought she would rather die than be used for sex…

* * *

Three hours had passed. Chloe still didn't call. Still didn't come.

Gabe was out of his mind.

So he called the sheriff.

"Wait, wait… Mr. Sullivan," the sheriff stopped him. "How old is your daughter?"

"She's twenty two," Gabe answered with trembling voice.

"So she's not a minor. Sir…" the sheriff sighed, "you have to wait twenty four hours before reporting a missing person. That's the procedure."

"But I know something happened to her! I know it!" Gabe raised his voice.

"Sir, please, calm down. I really want to help, but is it possible that your daughter just… left? Ran away? Decided this is not the life she wanted?"

"Why would she? She just landed her dream job! At the Daily Planet! She's been dreaming about it since she was a little kid!" Gabe's hands started trembling.

"You know, sometimes when a child becomes an adult they think maybe what they wanted the whole time is not what they want right now and just… take off…"

"I know my Chloe!" Gabe yelled. "She would never leave without telling me!"

"With all due respect, sir, that's what all parents say."

"I am _sure _she would never do that! I'm all she's got! She doesn't have anybody else! Even a boyfriend!"

The sheriff clearly didn't know what to do.

"I'm sorry, I can't bend the rules. I can't act before the first twenty…" she stopped when her walkie talkie came to life.

"Sheriff, we have what looks like an abandoned vehicle," the deputy said.

Sheriff took the device and asked, "what kind of?"

"Old blue chevy… year…" the deputy started, but the sheriff didn't listen and just looked back at Gabe. "What kind of a car your daughter usually drives?" she asked.

"It's my old car! I gave it to her!" Gabe's face was white as paper now.

"I'll be right there," she told her deputy and then, turned to Gabe again, "Mr. Sullivan, you should consider yourself lucky, even with those circumstances. Come with me."

* * *

They got to the right place right at the time when Nell Potter exited her shop and closed it.

"Gabe?" she asked, clearly surprised on seeing him with the sheriff. "Weren't you supposed to have dinner with Chloe?"

"Wait… Chloe was here?!" Gabe asked, feeling a new wave of hope. "You met her?"

"Yes, she came to the shop earlier to buy you flowers."

"Sheriff!" The deputy called from the car. "There's some potted flower inside!"

"Mrs. Potter, could you please, come over here to identify it?" the sheriff asked.

Nell did as she was told.

"Yes, that is exactly what Chloe bought."

"Something must've happened to her!" Gabe raised his voice again and brought his shaky hands to his face.

"Gabe, please, calm down. They'll find her," Nell tried to comfort him.

"Mrs. Potter!" They suddenly heard someone calling her.

They turned to see a young dark haired man standing near the shop.

"Have you seen Lana?" he asked, but then he saw what was happening. "I'm sorry, sheriff, something happened?"

"No, I haven't seen her. Why?" Nell asked, ignoring Clark's question to the sheriff.

"We were supposed to meet at the game, but she never came. I can't catch her on her cell and…" he stopped when he took a closer look at Gabe Sullivan's and sheriff's faces. "What happened?" he asked again.

"You better all come with me," the sheriff said. "Something stinks here and I can bet your daughter's disappearance, Mr. Sullivan, and your girlfriend's, Mr. Kent, are connected."

"She's my fiancée," Clark corrected, "please, I don't want anything happen to her!"

* * *

Chloe knew the town her father had moved in was bad news.

And now she had the proof as she's been taken.

The plan landed and all the girls, handcuffed, were brought to vans.

There was nothing worth any attention around, but Chloe recognized the language the men from the vans were speaking. Russian.

She was in Russia.

It was only getting worse and worse, but she promised herself not to cry again and just do her best to set herself free. The nearest police station was all she needed.

She also didn't want to lose Lana out of her sight, which became difficult when they covered their eyes.

The ride lasted about an hour and Chloe was in pain, tired, cold, thirsty and hungry. But above all, terrified. She couldn't see anything, she could just listen. And there was nothing worth attention.

She began imagining herself as she set all the girls free, wrote a heartbreaking article and won a Pulitzer as she would have information from first hand.

It didn't help. She was still terrified.

The vans stopped. Somebody opened the door and the freezing air got inside.

Chloe started shaking both with fear and cold. Would they take her to some lab and cut to pieces now? Would they give her an anesthetic before or not? Would they rape her? If not what else would they do?

When she was blindly let out of the van she heard a gunshot nearby and jumped.

Would they kill them? But why all the trouble for just that?

The blindfold was stripped away from her eyes and she saw that she was still in the middle of nothing, only in front of her was a huge building. The windows were mostly covered with dark curtains, so there was nothing to see. The fence was high and spiked. There also were lots of dogs. Dobermans. Very angry Dobermans. And guards. Armed guards.

Where the heck was she?!

She saw Lana standing right by her side and the girl's hand covered her own.

They both took a little bit of comfort from that closeness.

"Go!" a man with Russian accent shouted and raised his gun. "Go or I'll shoot!"

They forced them to go through the open gate, towards the building, one after the other.

Chloe felt Lana right behind her as she was moving ahead.

Then, she saw a strange man standing nearby, watching.

He was bald, but when she looked closer she noticed he was actually very young.

And handsome.

That latter she preferred not to acknowledge as he was one of _them._

Something was wrong though. When she met his blue gray eyes she could feel something going through her body. She was terrified and she was shaking, but she could still feel some weird connection.

The man's face differed from the others. It wasn't hard. there was no scowl or hatred on it. Only sorrow and pain.

"Help me," Chloe pleaded, taking her chance.

She would try _everything _to get out.

Maybe she imagined that soft expression, she thought, because it was all gone now. His face was cold and he turned from her to walk away.

She thought that he either schooled his features perfectly and really hated what was going on here or it was just a figment of her imagination.

She wanted to be free so badly that she might've imagined it all.

But the man made an impression on her. She could tell he was a tortured soul. Maybe a potential ally? Still, he probably couldn't do anything. They would shoot him.

So why was he even there? She couldn't stop thinking. And why had she felt that strange feeling when their eyes met?

"Moving!" she heard the man that was leading them, yelling. "Move or I'll shoot!"

So she moved.

**A/N **I know, I know. I will be very sad. Especially the scenes with Gabe I decided to write. And please, don't hate Lex, ok?


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

It was very dark when they finally got inside and Chloe could hear some of the girls screaming.

"Shut up!" the man with a Russian accent shouted again, which was followed by another gun shot.

Some of the girls jumped, some uttered one last scream, then went silent, and some were just standing still, shaking.

Chloe belonged to the latter group. She was beyond scared right now. She really started expecting death and all she could do was pray that her father would survive that somehow. That he would go on, although she knew it was impossible. He'd sacrificed way too much for her. If she died he would die, too, probably of a heart attack. And that would be just another proof that there was no real happy endings in life. Happiness was temporary and it always ended with pain and terror in this world.

All Chloe wanted was to be a star reporter. Now she was the one participating in an event that she usually wrote about.

They heard the deaf sound of the door closing behind them.

What would happen now?

The answer came quickly as the room lightened up. The curtains on the windows prevented any light from coming inside, so the lightening was necessary.

Chloe noticed that she was in a huge entrance of something that looked like an old Russian residence. She even thought that maybe once it'd been a summer residence of the tsar. It looked much better from the inside than the outside, so she quickly deducted that it was all for cover. Whoever owned this place must be very rich, but they had to cover their activities inside. Who would be interested in some old ruin anyway?

The guards arranged the girls in two long rows. They were six of them, all armed, standing in approximate distance from each other to prevent any girl from trying to escape.

But escape to where? Chloe thought as she was doing her best to turn off fear in order to start thinking clearly. She had to switch onto her reporter mode. _Weak places. Look for weak places in the entrance._

She didn't see any. It was either wait for what was about to happen or try to run to nowhere and being shot in the process.

She decided to wait. For now.

There was a spiraled staircase in front of them and when she looked up she could see the storeys of the building.

When she'd been outside she hadn't expected it to be so huge, but she figured the front wasn't covered with so many trees for nothing.

She noticed a man walking down the stairs. His movements slow and calculated, sophisticated.

Chloe knew he was in charge immediately as the power emanated from him. He must've been in his fifties, his hair was long till his arms, curly. His body lean. Visible creases and wrinkles on his face that made him coarse.

"Mr Luthor," one of the Russians came closer to him, "we have all twenty five just as you requested."

"Lovely, lovely," the man said and his tone of voice was so patronizing that Chloe hated it already.

She hated _him._

He appeared to be American, what she could easily say while hearing his accent.

"Chloe, what's gonna happen?" she heard Lana's barely heard and shaky whisper in her ear. "I'm so scared…"

Chloe didn't have an answer for her.

"Uncuff them," the old man commanded and the guards begun to follow his orders immediately.

As soon as Chloe's hands were free she reached behind her, where Lana was standing and took hers to give her at least some support. And to give it to herself as well.

"Ladies," Luthor spoke to them. "My apologizes for the uncomfortable journey and welcome to Russia!"

Chloe thought she heard him wrong. He must've been crazy!

He walked over to the first girl in the row and reached his hand to touch her face.

She recoiled from him.

"Oh, easy there, you will not be harm… as long as you obey," he added with a disgusting smile. He reached to her again and this time he caught her jaw in his hand painfully. "Do you understand me?"

The girl was so shaky that she barely nodded and was relieved when he finally let go off her.

"Pretty," he said, "not bad, not bad…" he begun murmuring as he walked along the row to look at every one of them. "Good job," he turned to his men.

"What are you going to do to us? Kill us?!" Chloe yelled, because she couldn't stand it anymore. The tension and fear from the last hours took a toll on her, leaving her completely numb. It was like her system didn't want to produce adrenaline anymore. She started calming down. Figured that maybe, just maybe, she could somehow survive.

"Oh, no," the man cackled. "Why would I kill all those pretty faces? Why do you think I picked young, slim girls?"

So the answer was only one. Prostitution.

"You will be examined by my doctors, the trained and when that is over… you will be sold off to my contacts and start your work," he told them.

Chloe thought if he was that self-confident to divulge so many information he must be a very powerful man. So powerful that nothing could take him down. Even a girl escaping and reporting his crimes. But again… maybe none had ever escaped? That wasn't good news either.

"What if we don't cooperate?" one of the girl dared to ask.

Chloe could feel in the tone of her voice that she was a fighter, had a tough character. Something that Chloe thought she also had in herself.

"You get shot," the answer came. "Yes, exactly. One mistake, one stupid attempt of disobeying me or… escaping… and you're dead. And believe me, there's nothing to escape to."

"No! I refuse to be used! I will not be selling my body!" she screamed and stepped out of the circle, then she ran to the door.

"As you wish."

It happened within a second.

One moment they were watching her in astonishment as she tried to run and the next Luthor raised his gun, there was a shot and the girl was lying dead on the floor. Her blood soaking the wood.

There were screams again, panick, but none of the remaining girls dared to move.

"So, you see. There is no mercy here. You refuse to do what I tell you to do, you die," Lionel said with calm voice and hid his gun, completely unaffected of what he'd just done. "Take the body. See if somebody needs to buy a kidney of something," he commanded his men.

On hearing that Chloe's inside twisted. She _was right in everything. _

Mr. Luthor was not only selling young women for prostitution around the world, he was also providing organs for the black market.

At that moment Chloe felt angry. There was no fear anymore. Only angriness.

What had she been thinking anyway? That she would just give up and die?

Oh, no, there had been, was and would be, a lot of girls to die, to be sold off. So many broken families. So many broken hearts. She'd only begun to understand the magnitude of it all.

She could only imagine the pain while thinking of her poor father, of Lana's finace.

And there must be so much more love to be stripped away. So much suffering.

She was Chloe Sullivan. The brave, snarky, insipid reporter. She would survive it all. She would escape. And she would expose the Luthor man to the world.

Even if she would have to suffer through unwanted sex in the process. She didn't care. It happened all the time all over the world.

All that mattered to her right now was that she felt she still had the power. They didn't know she was a reporter. What more she'd been one practically her whole life, since she could remember. She would expose them all. Period.

"Anyone else has something to say?" Luthor asked.

None of the girls spoke.

"Alright then. Take them to a doctor," he turned to the man, who must be his right hand. "Make sure he checks them up. Virgins are untouchable, remember? The price is much higher when a client gets a virgin."

It sounded more horrible with every single minute, but it also gave Chloe hope. She was a virgin. She never believed it would make her a lucky girl, but right now it was obviously buying her some time. Making her untouchable. At least for those men here. And then the guy said something about training, so maybe she would have more time than she thought before he would sell her out.

When the guards begun leading the girls to a small, barely noticeable door on the left, Luthor came closer to Chloe.

_Just ignore him, look ahead, ignore him, _she kept telling herself in her mind.

But as it turned out it wasn't about her at all. It was about Lana, what made it even worse.

"Your beauty is… stunning," the man said while reaching out to cup Lana's face and bring her closer.

Chloe had to move aside to avoid bumping into her new friend. She hated herself for not been able to do anything, but she had no choice.

"I'm looking forward to our meeting," he told her with a smirk and then he looked her body up and down. "I really like brunettes."

There was obvious disgust on Lana's face, but she was strong enough not to spit on him, not to say anything or not to run.

"And I like them even more when they're unwilling," he finished and finally let her go.

Chloe was getting more sicker with that man every single second.

"Lana…" she whispered to her friend, "please, tell me you're a virgin."

_Please, God, please, let it be truth. Let Lana be one of that Christians that wait with sex till marriage. Please._

Chloe never really understood it. If she was in love she would sleep with the guy, not right away, of course not, but she would eventually. She would have to, because she would not jump into marrying anyone fast. She had bad memories from her parents' marriage.

But right now she wanted nothing more for Lana to…

"I'm not…" she heard a cry in response.

They were all doomed…

* * *

First room was almost empty when not counting two huge laundry baskets and about a dozen of taps, what seemed to be a common shower.

"Strip off your clothes, leave them here and clean yourself up!" said one of the two guards that came with the girls inside.

They all looked at each other and then at the men, but obviously they would not relent.

It was either take a shower or be shot on spot.

Chloe tried not to think too much. Actually, she would really like a shower. So what that those guards here would watch? If she would find herself a corner she would end up covered by the others' bodies and…

"Moving! Moving! We don't have the whole day! Take a shower and when you're done, go to the other room to put some clothes on!" The guard yelled and stood by the other door in the room.

Chloe didn't wait to be told the third time. She walked to the laundry basket and took off her clothes. The rest seemed to follow her.

When they were all cleaned, they headed to the next room, where they got a simple pair of sweatpants and a shirt.

Behind the next door was a long corridor with chairs and at the end, the doctor's room.

* * *

The examination was finally over.

Chloe had actually never been to a gynecologist before as she hadn't needed any birth control and hadn't been sick. So the first time in such a place and under such a reign of terror wasn't pleasant at all. The only comfort was that the doctor started gently and when he was positive that she was still a virgin he kept being gentle.

"Left door, hon," he said when she was finally free and stood by the two doors, not knowing which one to take.

"Oh," she mumbled and pushed the left door open.

She found only one girl there.

And there had been about ten before her.

She quickly assumed that virgins were being separated from the rest.

"Hi, what's your name?" she asked when she came closer to her.

The girl was also blond and about Chloe's age.

"Kara," she said, "yours?"

"Chloe. I'm from Metropolis, but I was abducted in Smallville."

"I'm from Star City."

"So, Kara… they're separating us…"

"You heard. They pay more for a virgin," Kara said and winced. "God, I am so scared!" she hid his face in her hands.

"Hey, hey… it's ok, it's gonna be ok…"

"No, it won't!" the girl lamented. "Don't you see? We'll meet the same fate as the rest of them anyway!"

"But we have the advantage now. We still have to be trained, whatever that means. Let's try to survive that, ok? Maybe there will be some opportunity to…"

"There won't be," she just said. "How could there? They're all so sure of themselves. We know the guy's name, we know what's gonna happen to us. There's no way out. There must've been hundreds of girls before us. They're pros!"

Chloe just remained by Kara's side and kept trying to sooth her.

Only two more girls joined them and then, when the examination was over, they were led to a huge room with ten beds and one bathroom.

They were just sitting there, waiting. The four of them.

None of the girls wanted to speak, so Chloe was just wandering around, examining every inch of the room and the bathroom. She found nothing. No way out. No weak points. Even the windows were high up, small and they all had bars.

After about two more hours two girls came back. They were sobbing, shaking and barely walking.

Chloe didn't really wanted to know what happened to them, but she had to do everything in her power to help them.

So she scooted off her bed and go to them.

"Let me help you. How are you feeling?"

"HOW THE FUCK DO YOU THINK WE'RE FEELING?!" one of them screamed and ran to the bathroom. Chloe heard her heaving into the toilet.

The other one just recoiled from her touch and got to the first available bed. She sat on it, her knees brought to her chin, arms around them and she started to slowly moving forward and backwards.

Chloe felt completely numb. Just like her mind was turned off on all that cruelty that was happening under that roof.

She kept telling herself she had to be strong, but she didn't know how long she would survive before she cracked.

The door opened again and Lana walked in.

"Lana!" Chloe yelled her name and got to her.

Her friends was sobbing hysterically and shaking with fear.

Only she, to the contrary of the previous girls Chloe had tried to hug, didn't recoil from her. She just let Chloe guide her toward a bed right by the one the blond had picked for herself before and then, when Chloe made her sit down and put her arms around her, Lana's body just went limp.

"Oh, Lana, honey, I'm so sorry…" Chloe kept stroking her hair.

"It was…" Lana started, her voice breaking, "it was… horrible, Chloe… it hurt so much… he was so…" she couldn't speak for a long time and Chloe didn't push. She didn't even want to know what that man had done to Lana. "So many times… before he… before…" she couldn't speak anymore.

"I heard his name…" Lana said after a long period of silence. Four girls had come back, less or more hysterical and out of it and all the beds were taken now. There was no one new coming through the door. "it's Lionel…" Lana finished.

_Lionel Luthor_, Chloe made a mental note to herself. She would remember that name. She would expose that son of a bitch to the world and he would suffer.

* * *

**A/N 1 **I just wanted to say that that virgin/non virgin thing here isn't, because I disapprove of having sex before marriage. Actually, I approve it one hundred percent and I wouldn't wait as Chloe, but I really mean no offence to anyone. I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings with that story and I don't want to condemn promiscuous life or the opposite. It was just necessary for the plot, so Chloe wouldn't be forced to sex and I am sure none of you, my readers, wouldn't want her to be raped. Oh, one more thing, it is true that in this world guys pay more for a virgin.

**A/N 2 **I apologize for the cruelty in this chapter, but as I promised I didn't put anything descriptive here as I wouldn't even like to write the details. I think it's just as difficult as it gets. Sorry for moving too slow and sorry for no Lex yet, but I promise, we will get there. I hope you'll stick around. The next chapter should move things.


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4**

Gabe was sitting by one of the more secluded tables in the Talon. His back slouched, body much thinner, face pale. He was holding a cup of coffee in his hands and didn't even realize that it was already cold.

"Gabe?" he heard a voice. "Gabe!"

Finally, his body jerked as he almost jumped and then straightened himself up.

"I'm sorry," Nell placed a hand over his shoulder and then took the sit right next to him. "I didn't mean to startle you, but I'm worried about you. You keep sitting here, you don't eat, don't talk to me… Gabe… I can't go through this alone and I'm sure that you can't either. Let's help each other."

"My little girl…" Gabe said with strangely thin and quiet voice. "My sunshine. The light of my life… I can't even begin to imagine… I can't…" His body shook in involuntary response to crying.

"Oh, Gabe, it's ok, you should let it go. Let it go. You've been holding it inside for too long."

"I need to be strong for her when she comes back…" he stopped himself. "I know she will. I _know _it. And your Lana will come back, too."

Nell had been the one to keep breaking over the past few days and Gabe had been there for her and kept telling her that everything would be alright. She'd been grieving so much that she hadn't even noticed the change in her friend. He looked much older now, much thinner. And it'd been only a couple of days. She was afraid what would happen in few weeks…

The sheriff was doing everything she could, but past the point of twenty four hours the chances of finding the girls alive had been dwindling drastically. The possibility of a ransom had been ruled out immediately as both Gabe and Nell didn't have much. If it'd been only about one girl the sheriff would've thought about potential violent boyfriend or an accident like hit and run, but that had been ruled out as well.

The reason was that there was about dozen more reports of young women that had gone missing. The answer was only one…

And the brutal reality hit Gabe just that day. He'd seemed to be in denial earlier as he'd tried to be there for Nell, to make her feel better, to reassure her that she would see Lana again. Maybe the girl wasn't Nell's biological daughter, but the woman had been raising her for so long that she treated her like her own. Clark was nowhere to be seen as he'd been doing his own private research for people that could've possibly taken Lana. When he'd first heard the sheriff's suspicions he'd almost gone mad while not been able to stand the idea of his beloved delicate fiancé violated by some other men or, he hadn't been even sure if that had been worse or not, cut to pieces for organs.

"But…" Gabe started again, "she… she never really had any real boyfriend. Sometimes I caught myself wondering whether she even kissed somebody and if she had, whether that was that special kiss you would wait for years to come. Since she's never been in love I guess… I guess… she…" Gabe closed his eyes as his body shook again. He would not be weak like that. He had to be strong.

He felt Nell's arms going around him as she hugged him tightly.

"If only I hadn't told her I would like a flower…" he started again. "If only I'd…"

"Oh, Gabe, please stop," Nell pleaded. "You can't change anything now. You couldn't have known. Besides, it could've happened anyway. They could've caught her anywhere. It wasn't your fault."

"I keep praying that she be alright. I've never been much of a religious person, not after my wife left me, but now… I know I don't deserve anything from god, but I keep begging him to at least help her a little. I keep asking him to send her an angel to protect her, to get her home safely. I know the chances of her being untouched when she would come back are close to zero, but I keep asking for that anyway."

Gabe didn't realize yet how close his prayers were to be answered…

* * *

They were, indeed, being trained.

Chloe was very tired of it. She was also hurt by watching all those poor women with less and less light in them every day. She wanted to cry when she saw the state Lana was in after coming back from her regular meetings with Lionel Luthor. The scumbag apparently liked her so much that he refused to stop using her or give her to somebody else. In one way it was a better alternative as Lana wasn't being tossed around all the guards, what was happening to others, but still, she was being used. And Chloe hated it. There was so much angriness in her that she wanted to scream, bite, kick, tear all of that men apart. Of course, she couldn't. She was pretty sure they would fist rape her and then kill her.

So now she was suffering through another session of a porn marathon.

They had to spend four hours every day watching different kinds of porn as to learn what was expected from them. What kind of sounds they should utter, how they should move, what they should do to men and their cocks.

It disgusted Chloe. She was never opposed to reading or watching some smut, but that was just another kind of violation now, because none of the girls was in the mood for it. Some of them had already developed such hatred towards men that Chloe was scared about their mental state. She was sure even if they somehow managed to escape they would never be the same and probably would never let another man touch them.

It was so sad. Chloe knew that closeness, intimacy and erotic love could bring a lot of joy to human life and she still wanted to believe it. Her faith was dwindling as well and she couldn't help it. She started thinking that that kind of feelings were out of the question for her at that point.

She had to admit, even though Luthor was a madman, he developed a very good strategy. The girls weren't drugged as that was one of the ways to keep them by pimp's side. Here, there were intimidated. If they made one wrong move they would be shot. No questions asked. Also, they were offered a better life, which probably worked like a dangling carrot. If they learnt how to be the best they would get better jobs meaning exclusive clubs, pretty clothes, jewelry, men that weren't sweaty and disgusting, men that were businessmen or billionaires.

Chloe knew that having two, actually three choices, because death was also a variable option, most of the women would choose the last. To learn, to accept what had happened to them and to try to reach the top. To be the exclusive call girl that would enjoy a life full of splendor in exchange for couple of nights with well groomed and disgustingly rich men.

The movies were finally over and the women were let out to the canteen for lunch.

When they were passing through the main hall Chloe noticed Luthor in the corner talking to the same bald man she'd seen before.

She got curious, because she still have that strange feeling in her guts that the man wasn't as bad as colored by the surrounding.

She slower her pace, soon she would move to the very end of the women procession and would have no choice but to fasten up again.

That was her chance. She did her best to hear as much as she could.

"You're almost never here, Lex! I never expected you to actually help me with this business , but you should stop trying to get away from me!" Lionel was saying.

Chloe frowned. There was a really strange dynamic between those two.

"You know I will find you anywhere in this world, Alexander, don't you? And I will _always _know if you're planning something. You will _not _get away, ever. I am untouchable."

The bald man was just standing there, looking at the older one, but not conveying any emotions. Chloe thought his poker face was excellent.

"And you should stop trying to get a girl somewhere else. There's plenty of them for you to pick here! Some of them even are virgins. You should stop being such a weakling, but I shouldn't be surprised, you were always weak, no matter how much you tried to deny it."

There was a scowl on the younger man's face.

"Women are so much_ less _then we are, remember that, son." After those words Lionel patted his shoulder.

_Son? SON?! _Chloe thought frantically.

"Are you finished, dad?" the man finally spoke.

Chloe couldn't help but notice that he had a very nice texture of voice.

But he was the son of her oppressor. She wasn't sure if that was a good news since she hoped to get to him at some point to ask for help once again.

"Moving!" the Russian guard poked her in the back with his gun and she jumped. She was also so sick of hearing that strange grammar.

She felt cold sweat all over her body. She would not die that stupidly.

Luckily for her the man didn't fire.

She quickly speeded up.

* * *

When they finally entered the canteen they noticed that something was wrong immediately.

There was no guards inside and the one, who just led them in, received a phone call and walked out of the room.

Chloe looked at Lana in confusion.

"Weird…" she said.

They just stood there. Alone. Not sure what to do.

"Girls, this may be one in a million chance!" Chloe suddenly heard Kara's excited voice. "Let's get out of here!"

"And go where?" one of the women asked. "You heard that there's nothing out there."

"I prefer to walk the whole night than to stay here!" Kara said and ran to the door. "There's no one there!" She peaked to the hall.

"I'm coming with you," said one brunette Chloe didn't know.

She felt her blood boiling. Could that be really a chance? Or maybe not? Maybe it was a trick? Would she take the risk and try to escape? Risking her life in the process? But when the opportunity would present itself again? Before or after Chloe would be raped or sold out?

Before she could make up her mind she saw Lana running after those two girls that had already disappeared into the hall.

"Lana!"

"I'm coming, Chloe. I want to come back home to Clark."

Chloe seemed not to have a chance. She ran after Lana and tried not to think about how stupid all of this looked. She had a very bad feeling. Her instinct usually didn't fail her, so maybe she would just stop Lana and make her come back?

Not a chance, she realized when she got to the entrance hall.

The door was apparently not bolted and the girls were already outside.

Chloe rushed after them, suddenly forgetting about everything. All she wanted to do was to taste her freedom again. She wanted to get back home. Could it be so easy?

The barking. Shit. They forgot about the dogs when they were sneaking around, trying not to be too visible.

They speeded up and, before the dogs managed to catch up, they climbed up the fence.

The fence with spikes on top.

One of the girls uttered a silent moan of pain, because she pierced her hand. But she didn't fall down, she was strong, she pushed through the pain and found herself on the other side.

Chloe managed to get through as well, only scratching her calf a little.

Kara and Lana were more or less lucky.

"RUN!" Kara said and they sprinted ahead. As far away from that old mansion as possible.

Chloe couldn't believe their own luck and started thanking every deity for that opportunity.

They got tired very quickly, their lungs burning from the rush, but they kept on going. They would run till their legs would go numb.

Half an hour later they all just walked along the road, tired, but exhilarated.

"How far do you think is the nearest city?" asked Lana. "I want a phone. I need to call home."

_A phone, _Chloe thought. She could call her dad, tell him she was alright, tell him that no one harmed her. She could…

There was a car heading towards them.

What more, it was…

"It's police!" Kara yelled with a huge smile on her face. "I can't believe it!"

Chloe frowned. It seemed strange. Surreal. Too good to be true.

But Kara was right. It was definitely a police car.

It stopped and when the officer stepped out they begun all talking at once.

"Wait! Wait!" he raised his hands. "You say what?"

"We were captured by Lionel Luthor. He has a lot of women. They're in danger," Chloe said, trying to sound coherent and clear enough for the man to understand the main point. The most important thing was done, she said the name.

"He… what?" the policemen didn't seem to know much of English.

"Luthor!" Chloe repeated, afraid that when they finally stopped walking the guards would finally catch up with them. They must've already realized they were gone. Or maybe the others had managed to escape as well? "Kidnapping… prostitution…" she said those two words in hope they were simple and similar enough in both languages for the man to understand.

The officer seemed disturbed and soon he opened the back door of his car for them. "You, in."

The girls quickly entered the back seat of the car, happy. Even Lana seemed eager to smile like those past few days had been forgotten or buried deep down in her s subconscious.

Only the officer started driving in the direction they'd come from.

"Officer…" Chloe started, "is it the right way? We want to go to a police station!"

"Sure, sure, of course," he murmured, but kept driving.

"I don't like it," Chloe said.

"Oh, Chloe, cheer out! We're free! We couldn't be saver anywhere else right now," Kara told her.

It still didn't seem right.

Chloe felt her stomach twisting when she saw the residence and then…

"Wait! No! where are you taking us?!" the girls finally woke up, but of course, it was too late.

The gate was opened for them and they drove inside. Were trapped. Again.

They begun panicking, screaming, trying to open the locked door, but it was all for nothing.

"Oh God, oh God… we're gonna die!" Lana started lamenting when they saw Lionel Luthor exiting the main door and welcoming the officer with a smile.

"He is untouchable…" Chloe whispered to herself at the sudden dread. She should've known better. If she thought his own son didn't like what his father was doing… why Alexander hadn't done anything by now? Because Lionel was more powerful than any of them could imagine. He even had the police in his pocket. What the policemen had in exchange? Chloe was sure that girls were provided to keep them happy.

She felt sick. Above all she was terrified. That escape was unforgivable. She didn't understand the meaning of it, maybe they'd been let go as a test, but a test for what?

The back door were opened by Lionel and the girls were dragged off the car by his four guards.

Lionel just stood there, looking at them and shaking his head.

"I told you when you disobey the bullet in the head is imminent," he said with a cackle of his lips. A cackle that was disgusting. "You failed the test."

"What kind of a sick sadist are you to play us like that?!" Chloe blurted out. She knew there was no point in keeping her mouth shut at this point. She would be dead within minutes. Probably seconds.

Luthor smiled.

"I like some entertainment. I like to see who has it in herself. Who is vapid and submissive, and who is a real fighter. We need, of course, the first kind of girls here and, as I need only twenty this month, it's a good thing that one of you is already dead and the four just tried to escape."

"So, you're just gonna kill us?!" the brunette, Chloe didn't know, asked.

The was a shot and she was lying dead on the ground.

Lana started screaming. Kara seemed to had gone catatonic and Chloe was just standing there, her face white as paper.

"You," Lionel pointed Kara. "You're a virgin."

It wasn't a question, but Chloe thought even if it was, Kara would not be able to answer at this point.

Lionel turned to the policemen, "collect your reward."

The officer put his disgusting fingers at Kara and soon dragged her away, inside the residence. Chloe had no doubts that she would be killed after "pleasing" him. She wanted to throw up. She wanted it to be over already. The anticipation for death was even worse than the death itself.

Suddenly, a clean shot in the head didn't seem so horrible. It should be painless, right?

"You," Lionel pointed Lana, "you're lucky that I have a desire for you. You will be mine only and you will stay here. No one is to touch you but me. I like when a woman is a fighter. You know why?" He came closer and caught her jaw in his hand. "They're better in bed. You prove it to me, I will let you live. Now, go! Get out of my sight!" He pushed her and she stumbled backwards, landing on the ground.

Soon, she was picked up by Lionel's guards and taken inside.

"Oh, and you. You're a virgin, too, am I right?"

Chloe swallowed hard. No, she would not be killed on the spot. How could she forget? She would go through hell of pain first.

Lionel clenched his hand like a steel vice over her forearm and pulled her towards the building.

"We'll see if you'll be able to please me in a duet with your pretty friend, Lana," he said.

"Father," there was voice coming from the driveway.

Lionel jerked to a stop, Chloe almost losing her balance as he did so.

Alexander Luthor stood there, watching them with an undefined expression on his face.

"I have picked one," came the ambiguous sentence.

"What?" Lionel asked, frowning at his son.

"You asked me before to stop being such a weakling and finally pick a girl. I just did. I want this one." Lex pointed Chloe.

She didn't know if she should feel relieved or scared of the unknown. But at least… the younger man didn't seem to be so horrible.

"Really?"

"Yes, as you said, fighters are better in bed. I want her."

"She is yours, then."

Surprisingly, Chloe felt a wave of relief washing over her as the younger man came closer.

Lionel let her go and she would've collapsed if Lex hadn't caught her in time.

Their eyes met.

She felt like some jolt of electricity ran through her and didn't really understand it.

All she saw was those blue-gray eyes looking at her worryingly.

Then, they were left alone n the drive yard as Lionel came back inside, probably to get to Lana.

"Are you… are you going to rape me?" Chloe asked with strangely calm voice.

"Rape you?" she could heard the appall in his voice. "No. I think I've just rescued you."

On hearing that answer, that calm and caring voice, she just broke. Couldn't hold it in anymore.

She started crying.

He seemed like he didn't know what to do to make it all better. After all, there was no way he could. Not now. Not here. He would be dead as well as she if he tried.

But he could protect her. At least that much he could do.

She would not be touched as long as he was alive.

She was shaking and sobbing, still crying, so he just put his arms around her, not even sure if she wouldn't just push him away. But she didn't. Instead, she hid her face in his chest and begun sobbing even more hysterically.

It was then, when he raised her off the ground, swept into his arms and begun carrying to his own room.


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 5**

Lex didn't really know how to handle the situation and he hated not knowing what to do. He usually had an answer to everything. As long as it didn't concern his father, that was.

Now not only he had taken a girl as his father had been always encouraging him to, but he felt like she was his responsibility now. He couldn't save the world, couldn't stand up against Lionel, but maybe, just maybe he would redeem himself bit, because of saving that one girl. He didn't know why he'd done it or why her, he just felt it was right. He felt like it was the beginning of something. Maybe something was finally happening to push him to action, to inspire him to find a way out. Only, for how long he would be able to protect her before he would be able to do something? His father was capable of anything. Even having Chloe checked again. If she would still be a virgin… Lex didn't want to think of what kind of trouble they would find themselves in.

He finally reached his room on the top floor and pushed the door open. He silently thanked for the elevator that was of use only to him and his father. The girl wasn't heavy, but he had to carry her for a long time.

Finally, he entered a simply, but expensive furnished room and placed her gently on the bed.

He usually wasn't spending there much time as he preferred to be abroad, back in his native country, America, so there was only a huge bed, wooden wardrobe, a chair, two bedside tables and a bathroom door.

When she felt the bed covers underneath her she just cowered and laid there, trying to stop sobbing, not brave enough yet to look around and to face that stranger.

She heard the door opening and closing again and she was left alone. Yet, she still didn't change her position.

Then, after another few minutes Lex came back.

The smell of hot, freshly brewed coffee filled her senses and that finally caused her to sit up on the bed.

Lex placed the tray with a cup of coffee, glass of orange juice and some food on the bedside table.

Chloe wasn't able to stop herself. She hadn't had the chance to get coffee since she'd gotten there, so she snatched the cup and drunk it all.

It was delicious. Nothing like the food or drinks the girls were getting in the canteen.

When the coffee was gone, Chloe, though hungry, stopped. She felt awkward with the whole situation. She realized what she'd just done. She'd let a complete stranger take her into his arms and, what worse, she'd cried into his chest. Then she'd let him carry her to his bedroom.

And now was on his bed.

She shifted like she was uncomfortable and finally dared to look at him.

He was sitting in a chair, right in front of the bed, looking at her with unreadable expression. His chin leaned on his steepled fingers.

"So…" she started, cleared her throat and said, "Alexander."

"Call me Lex," he told her.

He had a nice voice.

Not to mention nice eyes and while being completely bald, he was really handsome.

Not that Chloe cared, of course.

"And you would be…?" he prompted.

"Chloe. Chloe Sullivan," she introduced herself.

"Nice to meet you, Chloe."

She didn't know if she should keep crying or maybe laugh for a change. The situation was rather tragic for him to say "nice to meet you.

"I see you really love coffee," he noticed.

"Why didn't you help me when I asked?" she threw a question back at him instead of answering his. She could feel save with him, so as she begun to calm down, the reporter side of her that wanted to know everything, woke up.

"I couldn't," he answered and looked down on the floor, avoiding her eyes. "I am sorry, but… I just couldn't. You have no idea of the magnitude of all of this."

"I think I do," she said, very sure of herself. "And I am pretty sure I figured you out, too," she added cockily.

"Really?" he looked at her with one of his brows elevated and something that resembled a small smile. "Amuse me, then."

"You might not be the bad guy here, but your hands are still dirty," she begun telling him. "You're afraid of him. You're afraid of standing up to your father. You must've been being pushed around by him your entire life. I heard him calling you a weakling. It's not a pleasant thing when hearing from your own parent, is it? He's disappointed in you and he keeps devaluing you. And do you want to know the main reason you won't do anything?"

"Go on," he just encouraged her, clearly impressed by her wit and quickness with connecting the dots and reaching the right conclusion.

"If you stopped him you would lose all your wealth. All those billions that your father probably makes. You would be just like the rest of us, common people. You would have to work hard and you're not used to it. You're just used to escaping and pretending that what your fathers does, doesn't happen."

She stopped and there was silence in the room. Lex didn't answer right away. He was just staring at her face. She could feel his eyes penetrating her, piercing her through like he was able to look into her soul. It bothered her, but in the same time fascinated.

"Auch," he finally uttered. "That last one stung."

"You wanted the truth," she just said unyieldingly.

"I don't think I'm _that _bad."

"You can't redeem yourself while saving only one girl," Chloe told him.

He looked at her in awe. It was like she could read his mind.

"And… if you don't do something more you will fail in saving me," she just said while being completely clam.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. You think your father's a fool? He _will _have me checked up at some point. He _will _know that you haven't used me."

Lex sighed heavily.

"I won't, I promise." He rubbed his head, didn't know what to do.

"Lex, I _need_ your help. All the girls need _you._ They have to be saved. It _has _to stop."

"How? Do you think is that easy? Do you think I haven't thought about it? I have. In fact, I do every day, if not every hour. My father has the police along the major authorities in his pocket. He provides them, they keep quiet. What happens here does sicken me, but I just can't take the risk right now. I have no doubt that even if he is my father, he would kill me with cold blood if he knew I was plotting something against him."

"How can a father kill his own son?" Chloe asked. She couldn't even comprehend it as all she knew about fathers was that they loved their children and protected them from harm. With her mother it was different. She knew it was a natural thing for a mother as well, but she couldn't imagine how it would feel like to actually have one, one that would love her as much as her dad did.

"My father can," Lex just simply answered.

"I'm sorry."

"Now you're feeling sorry for me?" Lex was surprised.

"What am I supposed to feel? You've been abused your whole life. It's clear to me. I just don't understand one thing…"

"Why aren't I like him?" Lex asked like he was reading her mind for a change.

"Yeah."

"It's because of my mother. She died when I was eleven. She was the most amazing woman I knew and she… got sick and died. When she found out what kind of a man my father was…" Lex stopped for a moment, closed his eyes, but then opened them and continued, "it was too late. They were already married. He had the power. She had nothing and he had everything. He threatened her, treated like trash. I was the witness. It was all I saw since I can remember. It is because of her and her love for me that now I want to stop it all. I want all of those women to be free, I just…"

"Your father keeps telling you that you're weak and you started to believe it," Chloe said calmly.

Lex just shook his head.

"I have no idea why I'm telling you all of this. I barely know you."

"Yes, but it seems like… like we _ do know _each other, even if we actually don't…" she said. "Or I'm just silly to assume that."

"No, you're not. I feel that way, too. It's weird. To be honest… the first time I saw you, the moment you asked me for help… I felt so bad about myself, I hated myself. I should've done something."

"There was nothing you could've done back there. I'm just glad you acted today."

"At least one time I actually did something good."

"I prefer to think it's the beginning," she said.

"Chloe…"

"Lex, we all want to go back home. I have a father, who waits for me. He must be worrying sick… I'm all he has and vice versa. He sacrificed _everything _for me. And now I'm gone. Probably forever. Can you imagine how he must feel?"

She watched Lex's face and noticed with satisfaction how much it changed. His expression was almost painful now.

"And it's just me. Imagine thousand of kidnapped girls. My friend, Lana, she's being used by your father right now as we speak. And she has a fiancé back home. They wanted to get married, live happily ever after, have children. How can she now forget about all of what happened here and just live on? How?!"

"Stop!" Lex raised his voice and stood up, begun pacing around the room.

"I will not stop until you do something."

"It's not that simple! My father watches my every move! He has me followed! Where am I supposed to go? To whom I'm supposed to report him?!"

"I don't know. Have you tried America? If your father is untouchable here, maybe…"

"This is Russian soil. It would be much more complicated."

"Isn't that even better? Crime in a different country?"

"Even if I was finally ready to do this… there's so much risk involved… I would have to be so careful. I would have only one chance to play this. He would kill me in instant if he knew."

"It's alright. And you know what other ace in the hole you have?" Chloe asked, pretty excited.

"What?"

"A reporter that works for the Daily Planet. Go to media, win the case."

"What? Who is… no way, you? Really?"

"I just got a job there, but I have no doubts that when they find out about what I've been through they would print the story on the first page."

"And you will go from bottom to the top. I bet it would be the first such a case in history. Barely started a job and…" he stopped. He suddenly realized they actually enjoyed the conversation and each other's company. It was like fate brought them together.

"It's so… surreal. Like meant to be," Lex confessed while coming closer and sitting on the edge of the bed. "Like something brought a reporter to me."

"Or like something brought me here to save all of those women," Chloe said and she actually smiled.

She knew it would be hard, but she could try. They would try it together. They had only one chance, so they had to be precise.

"So, you've always been so noble or just now stopped playing around?" she asked idly.

"What do you mean?"

"Come on. I won't judge. You must've used some women here," she said. She didn't really wanted to know, but on the other side, she had to. Part of her suddenly thought that it might just be another of Lionel's tests, but it didn't seem like that. He wouldn't go to such lengths as to stage his quarrel with Lex, then him taking Chloe and…

No, it would be too crazy even for the older Luthor.

But Chloe had to be sure. That was why she studied Lex's face as he was about to answer.

"I never slept with any woman my father provided," he said, dead honest with her.

The truth obvious in his eyes. They were bare to her, his face stripped of any mask. It was like he knew why she was asking all those questions.

"Really?" she asked one more time, just to be absolute.

"I take no pleasure when there is no pleasure in return," he said smoothly. "You don't have to worry. This isn't any test. You _are _save with me. I will not force myself onto you. I saved you."

"You would save me if you got me back to my dad," she said. Pain visible in his eyes as she did so.

"I told you, it's not that simple!"

"Then we'll make it simple! I have an idea! I can go around, ask girls about what happened to them, take their statements. I can write. If only you could provide me with some paper…"

"You can't make it too obvious," he said. "You have to be subtle. Start with girls you know you can trust."

"I have one," she said.

"Then you can come back here every night. You can spend your time here even during the day. As long as I call for you."

"Which will be all the time," she told him.

He sighed deeply.

"My god. What am I doing?" he said at loud and covered his face with his hands.

"You're doing the right thing. I'm sure you wanted to do it from some time now, but you just needed the right push," Chloe said, clearly very happy about herself.

* * *

Chloe came back to her room. Lex promised her to gather all the evidences against his father he'd had so far. She was glad that he had something already. It meant it'd had to cross his mind to bring his father down at some point in the past. He just hadn't known how to do it.

When Lana came back from her meeting with Lionel she was so exhausted and shaken that Chloe didn't have a heart to brag her about what had happened. She decided she would leave it for another day.


	6. Chapter 6

**Part 6**

Lex was just standing in the middle of his room, thinking. How came Chloe had just twirled him around her middle finger like that? How had she done it? She'd played him perfectly and, suddenly, he found himself working against his father. It was true that he'd been planning on doing it since like forever, but he'd never actually done anything except gathering the evidences. He knew deep down inside that he had to be prepared for every opportunity, had to go behind his father's back as he'd been being followed. And now he'd saved a young girl, which complicated things even more. Yet, somehow, she'd had him convinced he should start acting.

It was that face, those eyes, that hair like of an angel. When he'd reassured her he wouldn't hurt her or use her any way, when she'd finally believed him, she'd been so excited to help him, to be a part of something as huge as brining the powerful Lionel Luthor down. And Lex had had no heart to deny her that. That hope was all she'd had. It'd brought the light to her eyes as he'd noticed immediately. He would hate to see her when he would tell her that he'd changed his mind.

So maybe there really wasn't and wouldn't be any right time. Maybe he just had to try and get it over with. He couldn't wait forever. How many girls would be kidnapped and hurt before he would finally decide to take action? Chloe had been right, he might've not abducted them or used them, but his hands were still dirty.

There was a knock on the door and Lex went to it to open it.

A guard stood there with Chloe by his side.

Lex wanted to hit him for the way he was clenching her arm, but managed to stop himself. He had to play along, so they thought he was actually using Chloe and not plotting with her against his father.

So he just nodded at the guard and opened the door wider.

The guard pushed Chloe inside and she stumbled, rubbing her forearm.

As soon as the door was closed Lex got to her and touched gently. "Are you alright? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

She shook her head. "No, he didn't. They're just all so brutal."

"I'm sorry. Next time I will personally go for you and bring you here myself," he assured her. He should've known better and gone for her this time as well.

"Lex, it's alright. If we want to keep those appearances you have to treat me like you were hurting me."

"Only I hate to see you hurt."

"It's fine, I'll live," she brushed it off and turned to look at his face. "It could've been worse. I could've been raped." She forced a fake smile on her face. "Oh, no," she added when looking at his face closer.

"What is it?" he said while cocking his head a little and wrinkling his forehead.

"No, mister!" She suddenly pointed her finger at him. "You are _not _backing out! You will do what you promised!"

"Actually, I haven't promised you anyth…" he started, but she interrupted him.

"You're not allowed to have any doubts! We're doing it!"

He appreciated that spark, that wit in her. He could sense that she would be a wonderful reporter. She had every feature to be. He also noticed she seemed happier, if that was possible in such a place. She had a purpose now, a goal to achieve and that gave her hope that someday she would be able to come back to her father and free all those girls in here.

Lex didn't have a heart to deny her that. He would hate to see the look on her face if he told her that he wouldn't do that, that he would just back out and leave her. He would hate _himself_ for that. It would just prove that he was, indeed, his father, and he'd been trying not to be his whole life. He had to make his mother proud, so he would do this. Or die in the process. Such a death could redeem him.

"You're amazing, just remarkable," he found himself saying and sat on his bed, right beside her. "Did anyone tell you that?"

"Yes, but it was only my father, so it doesn't really count."

"Why?" he asked, surprised.

"Because that what fathers are supposed to say to their children."

"I guess…"

"Did anyone tell you that you have a good heart?" she suddenly asked.

"No," he sighed heavily. "I just keep hearing I'm too weak."

"You're not weak, Lex," she said and caught his eye with hers. "In fact, you may just be the strongest person I know. You're not your father, you haven't become him and it must've been extremely hard. Your mother would be proud of you."

"You really think so?" he asked her, touched.

"I know so," she assured him and placed her hand over his.

It was so natural to just sit there with her, let her cover his hand with hers, let her make him believe he was worth something. There was nothing left to do than to actually prove her right.

"I'll show you all the things I've gathered so far," he said and walked over to his wardrobe. He retrieved a suitcase and put it on the bed, entered the code and took a small laptop out of it.

"Wow, you're really careful."

"I have to be," he just said and pushed the play button.

"Can I ask you something?" she spoke again as they waited for the computer to turn on.

"Of course. What is it?"

"It's been bothering me from the moment I saw you, but I didn't have the courage to actually ask…"

"You want to know why I'm bald?" he figured out with a chuckle.

"Yes," she admitted, a little embarrassed. "Can I? I don't want to offend you or something…"

"It's ok. I got used to being bald. I've had alopecia since I was eleven."

"Oh, I'm sorry, that must've been awful for you in school."

"Yeah, I was being bullied, but I got through it."

"I'm sorry," she repeated. "For what it's worth… I think you really do look very handsome without hair."

"You do?" He raised his eyes from the laptop when he was just entering another complicated code.

"Yes."

"And you're not making fun of me?"

"How could I make fun of something like that, Lex?"

"I'm just making sure."

"What was your hair?"

"Red curls," the answer came and Chloe started laughing. "Or, so _now_ you're making fun of me!" he said with pretended annoyance.

"Sorry," she said, but couldn't stop laughing. "I just tried to picture you with red curls and I… I can't."

"So maybe it's a good thing I'm bald. At least people are taking me seriously."

"And they think you're hot, believe me," she confessed.

He didn't say anything to that. It was a dangerous ground and she didn't seem to realize that.

"We're actually very similar," Chloe noticed when Lex was opening the right file. "Your dad, my mum."

"What you mum did?" he got interested.

"She left me when I was little. Never came back. My father had to raise me all by himself."

"I'm sorry."

"It wasn't that bad. At least I had a loving parent. I think my father reminds a little of your mum, Lex."

"Maybe… She was wonderful, you know, she always saw the best in people. That was also her doom, because my father managed to seduce her before she found out what he was actually doing. He killed my grandparents."

"What?!" That was a shock to Chloe. "You can't be serious!"

"Why do you think I'm so sure he's capable of killing me, too?" Lex asked, dead serious.

"I'm sorry."

"Stop saying you're sorry, Chloe. It's not your fault and you can't fix the whole world."

"But I can always try," she said. "So, you have the evidence?"

"Yes," he confirmed. "My father doesn't even know that I found out about my grandparents. In fact, they were his complete opposite. They were fighting people like him. They were doing their best to free as many women that were kidnapped and sold as they could. They even had one huge success."

"What happened, then? How their own son could develop such a hatred towards women? What prompted him to do it all?" Chloe asked.

"It's easier to be the bad guy than the good one. My grandparents earned themselves a lot of enemies. One of them planned to kill them along with my father. My father stuck a deal with him. He was tired of being dragged around the world, being homeschooled, tired of such a life. He always thought they didn't spend too much time with him and that nothing they would do would change anything. So he agreed to have them killed and, instead of carrying on their legacy, he became one of the bad guys."

"That is terrible…" Chloe wanted to say she was sorry again, but she bit her tongue just in time. Lex had already told her he didn't want to hear any more of that. "But now, you can carry that legacy, Lex. It's up to you. You can make everything right again."

"I hope so," he just said. "It will be extremely hard, though. My father doesn't trust me. He's always suspected I'm opposed to what he's doing. He's having me followed, so my options are limited."

"We'll figure something out. You'll lose that tail. It's not impossible, is it?"

"No, but as I said, extremely difficult to achieve."

There was silence as Chloe looked through the evidences Lex had been gathering.

He stood up and walked over to the window.

"I wish I was brave like my grandparents were," he confessed.

"You can be," Chloe assured him.

"You know, I thought about just killing him. Ending it all with one simple bullet…"

"Oh, Lex," Chloe uttered and stood up, walked over to him while standing right in front of him. She looked into his face and his expression told her everything.

Lex, although his father was capable of killing him, loved him anyway, because it was his father. After all, he was all Lex had. His only family. And when a person was good it was hard to cheat biology and not love somebody that had given them life.

"It's ok to love him, Lex," Chloe said. "It really is. It's your father. It would be weird if you didn't feel anything."

"I should've killed him a long time ago, Chloe," Lex said. His voice sounding different, but he was holding on. "I just didn't have the courage. And it would've saved so many people. So many innocent girls." He looked into her eyes. His gaze bare for her, so she could see all the emotions in there. He still couldn't understand how she was the only one he allowed himself to be honest with and not hide anything from her.

"If you'd killed him," she said seriously, bringing her hands to his face and cupping his cheeks, "then you would've become just like him, Lex. You can't fight fire with fire, no matter if others think it's possible. It destroys you, consumes you. It just creates another monster after the first one is killed."

He was just looking into her eyes, knowing that she understood everything that he wanted to tell her. The gratefulness for what she just said that was too big to express with words.

* * *

Chloe came back to her room in the middle of the night and, to her surprise, she found Lana awake, standing by the window, looking through it blindly.

"Lana? Are you ok?" Chloe asked while coming closer to her.

Her friend didn't answer.

"Lana?" Chloe repeated while placing her hand on Lana's shoulder. "Lana, what is it?"

Then, the brunette turned to her and Chloe was shocked with the terrible expression on her face. It was like resignation, like she'd given up. Like she had nothing to live for anymore.

It just proved Chloe that hope, indeed, was the most dangerous thing to lose.

"I'm thinking about ending it all, Chloe," Lana said in a voice that didn't sound like hers. "I'm thinking about getting myself killed to end this misery."

Chloe gasped.


	7. Chapter 7

**Part 7**

"Lana… what are you talking about?" Chloe gaped at her in shock. "Lana!" She caught her arms and turned the girl around, so she could look into her eyes. "Lana, what the hell are talking about?!" she persisted.

"Can't you see?" Lana freed herself from Chloe's hold. "We will _never _be free again. There is _no _hope for us anymore! I don't understand how you can just keep visiting that young Luthor and not feel the way I feel, but I can't do it anymore, Chloe! Lionel's hurting me! Both physically and psychically. What do you think I should do? Stick around and wait till he gets bored, so he could kill me or hand me over to other men? I refuse to do that. I won't stand it. After all of this…" Lana closed her eyes in pain. "How do you imagine us in a few years? We'll be either addicted to drugs, dying of AIDS or be already dead. I will not live like that, Chloe. I prefer to die when I'm still me."

Lana turned in the direction of the door, but Chloe stopped her again.

"Hold on, Lana, I'm begging you," Chloe's voice urgent and pleading. "Lana, look at me!" she spoke to her a little louder and immediately looked around. There were only two more girls in the room as the rest were providing entertainment to guards, but they seemed to be sleeping soundly. Chloe couldn't take chances anyway. She pulled on Lana's hand and dragged her to the bathroom.

"What is it, Chloe?" Lana frowned when the door closed behind them.

"All I'm asking is that you give me a little more time. Please, just please, hold on."

"What are you not telling me, Chloe?"

"Lana, the less you know the better, trust me."

"I think I deserve to know!" Lana huffed. "Chloe, please… put yourself in my position. If you have something to tell me, if there's some chance for us to get out of here, please..."

"I think we will be rescued, but it will take some time."

"Rescued? How? Wait… is that have something to do with that Alexander guy? He took you and you never acted like me after my first time with Lionel. What is it between the two of you?"

"I can't tell you everything, but it's not because I don't trust you, it's because if Lionel finds something out, he will stop at nothing to torture it out of you. All I can say is that his son is a good person and he's planning something. With my help."

"I can't believe it," Lana said with hushed voice, staring at Chloe in awe.

"What? I'm telling you the truth. This is our chance and you must hold on."

"No, I meant… I can't believe that you would actually fall for someone here. He didn't hurt you, did he? He didn't even force you into having sex with him!"

Chloe tried very hard to keep her poker face, but unfortunately, she weren't as good at it as Lex was.

"I don't know if I should be scared or happy that real feelings are possible in such a place."

"Lana, it's not like that. We're not close _that way_," Chloe denied and that was the truth.

"It doesn't matter. You have feelings for him."

"I can't say I don't care about him, but I think it's a little too soon to talk about real feelings. The priority is something else right now."

"Thank you," Lana suddenly said.

"What? Why?" Chloe didn't understand why her friend should be grateful for her being close with Lex.

"For giving me hope back," Lana explained. "If you can still be a little bit happy in this place, if you can fall for someone, if some guy here can genuinely care about a woman… then this is all the hope I need. It reminds me of Clark and if you say that we can be free, then I'll hold on, for you, Chloe. For Clark and for my aunt. Thank you."

"Lana, you're my best friend," Chloe confessed. "I've never had a real friend before, so it really means a lot to me. I know we'll go through this together."

"Yes, we will." Lana forced a smile on her face, it was rather fake, but Chloe appreciated the efforts.

Then they hugged.

"You're my friend, too. Thank you."

* * *

During the next few days Chloe was spending most of her time in Lex's room. They were planning everything, working out the best strategy, but also they were talking a lot about their lives, their dreams and expectations. One night they didn't even sleep, they just stayed up, getting to know each other better. At some point Chloe started to be worried that Lana might have been right. That she really had been having deeper feelings towards Lex for some time now. Only, how could she act on them if the there were more important matters to attend? All those girls needed her and Lex, so they couldn't just indulge themselves in feelings. And there was the other thing, Chloe wasn't sure if he felt something at all. There were moments she caught him staring at her, at her face, her eyes, at her lips or other parts of her body, but still, he never gave her any sign that he was, indeed, interested in her. It would be the biggest kind of ironies if she finally found somebody after being kidnapped, almost sold and raped. Those things just didn't happen to normal people. It was so unnatural to fall for the person that had spent a huge part of his life among criminals. Those things didn't even happen in fairy tales, because it seemed so implausible. Yet, it was happening to her right now.

Finally, the day when Chloe's determination and enthusiasm dropped completely came. The day of breaking that had to finally happen was upon her.

Lex was planning a trip to America to meet the authorities to interest someone with his father's wrongdoings. And everything would be perfect if only the girls that had been brought to this place along with Chloe and Lana weren't to be shipped away the next morning.

Chloe felt like she failed them all, like she wasn't quick and perceptive enough, like she hadn't done enough of a good job to prevent it. She knew it was a delicate and dangerous matter and that Lex had only one chance, but if they'd tried a little bit harder…

When she was called to him that night she was shaking and she was feeling depressed. One thing came after the other. She saw all those girls crying their eyes out in their room, then Lana just sitting there, on her bed, her arms around her bent knees, her eyes empty as they were staring into the distance. She was staying. As cruel a fate as it was for her to being kept using by Lionel, it was better than to be violated by more men. Besides, Chloe didn't want to lose Lana. Not her. Then, on her way to Lex's room she reminded herself of the agony her dad must have been going through and she completely cracked. She wanted to see him again. She wanted to see Lana happy with her fiancé and aunt. Only, she also wanted to keep seeing Lex…

By the time she appeared in Lex's door her face was wet from tears.

"Chloe, my God, what happened? Did someone…?" The horrified look on his face made her even more upset and she started sobbing. "Who? I'll kill him!" Lex took her inside, closed the door and then put his arms around her tightly like he was trying to shield her from everything that was evil in this world.

Chloe wanted to speak up, to explain that she hadn't been hurt, but tears wouldn't let her. She was choking on them.

The rage that was swelling inside Lex was the biggest he'd ever felt. He hadn't even experienced it when his mother had died or when he'd found out about his father's doings and what had really happened to his grandparents.

If his father had dared to hurt Chloe. _His _Chloe, then he would pay right here and right now. Lex would finally take the gun and do what he'd been afraid to through all those years.

"Lex…" Chloe finally managed to utter, her voice muffled by his shirt. "I'm sorry… no… nothing happened… I'm fine… no one hurt me…"

"What?" he sputtered and pushed her away from him, so he could keep her at his arms' length and look her in the eye to make sure. "WHAT?!"

"I'm sorry, I gave you the wrong impression. I just… all the girls will be gone tomorrow and we won't be able to find them… and I want to help them… and I miss my dad and my life… and I hate to think that if I come back to it… you'll be gone… I mean… out of my life…" she kept bubbling, her speech a little jumbled.

"God, never do that to me ever again!" Lex released the air that he seemed to be holding and swept her back into his arms. "I know exactly where the girls are going to, so when we bring my father down, we will come back for them and save them. And when it comes to me being present in your life, do you really think I could just walk away from you? You mean too much to me, Chloe. You're the only real family I have."

She was touched that he thought of her as family. She would prefer something more intimate, but she would take what he would give.

"I'm going tomorrow," he said when they finally let go off each other and Chloe managed to stop crying.

"I know."

"I promise, nothing will happen to you," he assured her while sitting next to her on his bed. "My father will be gone, too. He's taking care of the girls personally."

"Is that why you can go?" Chloe suddenly understood. "Because it will be easier for you to lose his trail when he's busy?"

"Precisely. I hate to leave you here all alone, though."

"No, it's ok. You have to go. _Everything _depends on it. I have Lana. She'll keep my company."

Chloe didn't even know how it happened, but soon they were both lying on the bed, she was still calming down, so Lex just took her in his arms, hugging her.

She appreciated the closeness, his touch, the warm coming off his body. He was giving her comfort she needed. Still, he didn't make any advances on her. She wasn't sure if he cared about her the way she really wanted him to, but knew it was a wonderful thing that he just let her lie in his arms. It wasn't the time for something more intimate, Chloe just needed a friend and he was there to hold her. So what that her heart was pounding widely? So what that he felt special to her? That his touch was burning her skin?

When Chloe finally calmed down and actually fell asleep, Lex was just lying there, still embracing her, looking at her. He didn't want to fall asleep as well. He wanted to spend that time with her, feel her body next to his, because he knew that the next day could bring him either success or failure. He couldn't let that latter to happen. He had to do his best. That was the moment he'd been waiting for his whole life. Only it took a girl to finally push him towards it.

One petite woman with blond hair, green eyes and bright smile, a smile that he'd seen on her face even in such a horrible place. He loved her. She somehow became the most precious thing to him, the reason to live, to go on. She gave him the courage to do what he'd been wanting to do for such a long time. She was the catalyst. She was everything he needed.

He would do anything in his power to save her and all those girl. He would do it _for her._ Even if he had to die in the process.

* * *

Fuck, he'd actually fallen asleep, Lex scolded himself silently. He hadn't wanted to, but he'd had.

And it wasn't even the worst thing. The worst was that he was actually hard.

He woke up fully erected, still holding Chloe pressed against his chest. Of course, it was the closeness to the person he loved that caused his predicament.

He knew he should pull away, go to the bathroom and take a cold shower, but he wasn't able to. He might never see her again. He had to take anything he could, appreciate every moment with her. Even if it didn't mean having sex with her. He knew she wasn't near ready for that and especially, not in such a place. That wouldn't be right for her first time.

Just then he realized she woke up and now was looking at him with those big gorgeous green eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said, a little embarrassed with his condition. "I assure you I wasn't going to take any advantage on you or imply anything. It's just a morning call."

"Yeah, I know. I trust you," she said, but still, she didn't move away from him.

"Do you?" he asked with thick voice. She surprised him with that confession. "You trust me?"

"Of course, Lex." And then she stroked his chest and kissed his cheek.

She was so beautiful in the morning. Her hair deliciously tousled, her body warm and plaint, what made her even more enticing to him if that was possible.

Only, it wasn't the right time for a conversation about trust, not with a hard on. Not with her pressed so sweetly against his body.

He was still wondering why she hadn't pulled away already. She could feel his hard cock, so why?

"I… I'll be right back," he finally said with strained voice and heaved himself up. He got out of bed and hurried to the bathroom. He needed a shower. Now.

When he disappeared, Chloe sighed with pleasure and turned on the side of the bed he just left, hugging his pillow.

Lex, on the other hand, was very busy under the shower. His erection was too nudging, so he just started jerking off.

He imagined himself Chloe walking into the bathroom, dropping her clothes on the floor and stepping into the shower.

He would kiss her, massage her breast, turn her around… his hands would still be on her breast, his mouth on the side of her neck as she would be grazing her delicious hips against his hard length and then he would sink into her and…

Lex came hard.

Only after he did that, he knew that what he imagined would never happen. Not now, if ever. Chloe would never join him in the shower. She was a virgin. They would start properly. In bed.

He suddenly regretted he hadn't tried anything the previous night. Now there was no time. His plane was leaving in two hours. And he might not come back from this.

When he exited the bathroom she was still lying in his bed and, to his delight, her face was on his pillow.

"Chloe, I need to go," he said. His voice strangled. He didn't want to leave, but it was bigger than all of them. He had to do that. It was his road to redemption.

Chloe got up to face him.

"When will you be back?"

"As fast as I can is all I can tell. My father will be away as well, so you have nothing to be worry about. When he'll be finished with selling the girls, he'll go to France for a new delivery."

Chloe winced.

"Chloe, hey, look at me." Lex gently took her chin between his thumb and index finger and looked deeply into her eyes. "We will save them all."

"I know. I believe in you."

"I really need to go now," he said, but didn't move.

"I know," she answered, but instead of pulling away she raised on her tiptoes and placed a soft kiss on his mouth.

It surprised him.

It was, after all, all he'd wanted to do for the past few days.

So before he could stop himself, he grabbed her face and brought her closer to his. The kiss grew more urgent and passionate. When he licked her bottom lip she whimpered deliciously and opened her mouth for him, so he slid his tongue inside to join it with her without thinking.

They were acting purely on instinct.

Yet, they couldn't go too far.

They stopped the kiss and just brought their foreheads together, staying like that with their eyes closed.

Finally, Lex pulled away.

They eyes met and there was really no words to be said about what they felt at the moment.

"I'll miss you," Chloe finally spoke.

"I'll miss you, too. I promise I'll be back soon."

And he just walked out of the room.

Left to America.

She was all alone now.

Well, she still had Lana, but it wasn't the same.


	8. Chapter 8

**Part 8**

"So, Mr. Luthor, I believe we have a deal," agent Spencer of CIA turned to Lex.

They were sitting in one of secretive CIA's quarters.

Lex, after coming to America, had had a hard time of losing the tail his father had had on him and then, the closest way out of his predicament was to turn to CIA.

"You will provide us with any evidence you can find on your father's doings and then, you will testify in court. In exchange we will give you the immunity. You will not be charged as an accomplice, you will be free."

"As long as you can promise my father will not be released from prison," Lex persisted.

"This decision is up to the jury, but I can assure you, Mr. Luthor, for such a crime there is no other option. I think we can even try to get him to the death roll."

Lex managed not to wince. He still hated himself for all those feelings he had towards his father, but as Chloe said, it was a proof that he was still human.

Chloe… why had she kissed him? Was it for good luck? Was it something more? It _had _to be something more! The urgency of that kiss, the affection, the… Lex had to stop thinking about her. Now he had to be focused on something that was much bigger than all of them.

"We'll make sure you get back to the airport safely."

"Thank you, my father cannot know."

"Understandable. One of our field agents will take out through the back door and get you to the airport from the back as well."

"Thank you and… can I ask for one small favor?"

"Depends on the favor."

"I don't have much time left and I can't risk being seen doing it, so could you please, send this letter?" He reach to his pocket and gave agent Spencer a sealed envelope. "This is very important for me. The recipient cannot know who is this from and they cannot be able to trace it back."

"We'll take care of it," Spencer agreed and looked at the envelope. "Gabriel Sullivan?"

"Just send it, please. That's all I'm asking for."

"No problem, Mr. Luthor. I'll have my people on it."

"Thank you."

"It's a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Luthor."

* * *

Chloe was bored and worried sick at the same time. She stayed with Lana. The rest of the girls were long gone.

The two of them didn't have much to do as they weren't allowed for anything. The only entertainment was a small TV in their room and old movies that were being played almost all the time.

None of the girls really paid any attention to it, but they used to stare at the characters on the screen nevertheless.

Chloe kept thinking about Lex. About their kiss. About her feelings for him that hit her so unexpectedly. She wouldn't survive if something happened to him on his way to America or back. She prayed every day for his safety, for him to come back to her. She knew _everything _depended on him. Her life, Lana's… everybody's. They all had to put their lives in the hands of one person. Chloe could only imagine how much of a burden it was for him. She felt so sorry for him, she wanted to soothe him, be his strength like she'd been through the last couple of weeks. Only she couldn't do that when not being around him.

The day of the new girls' arrival finally came. That meant Lionel was back as well to check on them all.

This morning Chloe was really scared, yet she was doing her best to be a strong for Lana. The girl was so close to giving up again that she had to have some support.

"Don't worry, Lana. It'll be alright. We'll all be free soon," she kept raising her spirit.

But for how long…?

Then, the door to their room opened and five new girls came inside.

That meant that this time they had more virgins.

Still, there were three girls missing and Chloe didn't really want to think about what was happening to them right this moment.

The worst was yet to come.

Lionel stood at the door and looked at both, Chloe and Lana.

"Girls, the doctor is here today again, so I think it would be a shame to waste the opportunity. Come, both of you, we'll see if you're healthy."

Chloe was panic-stricken. She froze. She knew it was all over right this moment. Lex might still defeat his father, but he would have to do it without her. Would he be able to? Would he just break down when he would come back and see she was gone?

If she went to a doctor right now he would know she was still untouched. Lionel would know that his son hadn't used her. He would know his son had wanted to save her.

Now Chloe realized that it was even worse, because then he would start suspecting something and that could shred their plans to pieces.

"What are you waiting for? Come!" Lionel gestured her, because she was still sitting on her bed, face white as paper.

He would rape her and then kill her…

Suddenly, a possible way out came to her mind. She could always ask the doctor not to tell Lionel, of course she would have to give him something in return. Like her virginity. And that would hurt like hell, but… if that was the only way to save Lex and the cause he was working for…

Chloe raised herself from bed and slowly made her way to Lionel.

"Good girl," he said and put his hand on the small of her back to guide her. She hated his touch, but there was nothing she could about it. "After all, what's the harm? You're my son's, so it's just a routine examination to make sure you're healthy."

They were already in the hall. In a moment Chloe would meet a very cruel fate. It would hurt a lot. She would be broken forever after that. Would she even let Lex touch her later? She knew by now that she loved him with all her heart, but she also saw what was happening to all the girls that had been raped. They were never the same again. Even love couldn't conquer all.

Suddenly, Chloe realized that if Lana was set free, she would still have years of pain and psychological problems to overcome to be fully happy in Clark's arms.

Life sucked.

And then you were dying.

She could see now the door to the doctor's office, she could feel Lana's eyes set on her. Even if she didn't look at Lana's face, she knew what the expression on it was. And she knew what it meant.

Lana would get herself killed, because for her it was over.

"What do you think you're doing, dad?" Chloe heard a voice.

A voice that sounded to her like the best music in the world. That voice was her salvation, the alleviation of her pain, the healing she needed so much right now. It was like an angel was sent to her to protect her, to appear just in all the right moments.

She was so relieved she actually let go off a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding before.

All she wanted to do was to just turn around in the direction of that voice, then run to him, jump into his arms, kiss him. Only she knew she couldn't. The situation was difficult enough.

"Good thing I came home, because I would hate to find out _my _woman violated by _you_."

"Don't be overdramatic," Lionel snorted. "I was actually taking care of your health, my son. I was going to get her to a doctor for a checkup. Who knows what she's been doing when you were gone."

"There are cameras all over the place. Has she really done something?" Lex asked in exasperated voice.

Chloe finally managed to slowly turn around, doing her best to keep looking miserable. She couldn't be happy about seeing Lex's dear face, not in front of his father.

"No, nothing that I'm aware of."

"She was healthy during her last examination and I doubt that something has changed. I always use a condom. Now, give her back to me. I'm anxious for some… release. I've been gone for too long."

Lionel seemed troubled.

The last straw was the doctor's face that appeared in the now opened door.

"Excuse me, Mr. Luthor, but if you don't want to risk me being connected to this conduct… I would suggest you let me go now. I have a meeting and still, I have to take all the precautions before I go back to the city."

"Argh… it's alright. Go!" Lionel growled. "And you, my son, next time don't get in my way!" And he walked away, dragging Lana with him.

Chloe tried to send Lana a look that would make her want to hold on long enough. _Please, _she tried to silently tell her, _please, everything is alright now. Please, hold on. _She also felt bad, because she knew Lionel would channel his frustration into hurting her friend.

But before Lana disappeared from her sight, she felt Lex's grip on her arm as he pulled her towards the elevator. His touch wasn't hurting her, but it was urgent and nagging. She followed him, knowing the cameras were everywhere. Good thing the places free of them were Lionel's and Lex's rooms.

The door to Lex's bedroom finally closed behind them.

"Oh, god! Oh, God!" Chloe squealed and turned to Lex. "God, that was close!"

He swept her into his arms so abruptly that she was confused for a second about what happened. Then, she snuggled into his chest, smelt the familiar scent of his cologne, felt the fabric of his expensive shirt, the warm of his body, the tightness of the embrace. If he didn't stop hugging her like that she would be left without a breath, but she didn't care at the moment.

"I was so scared," she heard his shaky voice in her ear. His breath on her skin. "So scared for you, honey."

"It's ok. I'm alright. You came just in time," she mumbled against his shirt, what muffled her voice, but he heard it anyway.

He tightened his embrace even more and she could feel his lips kissing her hair.

"I told you you would be safe. I promised."

"You couldn't have foreseen this, Lex. I wouldn't hold it against you. I was even ready to do anything I could to make the doctor not tell Lionel about me still being a virgin."

"Oh God…" Lex just uttered, it resembled a moan.

Then he let go off her, what brought her relief and disappointment in the same time. She could breathe again, but she wanted to be as close to him as it was possible.

"And you're alright," she said when he cupped her face urgently and looked into her eyes. "You made it," She also put her hands on his face. "And did you just call me "honey"?" she asked.

Without answering he brought her face closer and crashed his lips against her, tasting her hungrily. She immediately opened to the advance of his tongue, let him plunder the inside of her mouth, suck on her bottom lip, twirl his tongue with her own.

She moaned deeply and slid her hands up to his bald scalp, caressing it gently.

This time he groaned with pleasure and his hands wandered down to cup her ass and brought her hips closer, against his hardening cock.

The feeling of his length poking into her stomach set her on fire. Made her want something more than just a kiss. She felt _ready. _Ready for him. For Lex of all the people. It was only Lex.

And she got wet.

It was when she shamelessly grazed herself against him and he hardened all the way, he finally stopped the kiss and pushed her away, keeping her at his arms' length.

"Chloe, wait…" he said, closing him eyes and wincing his face. Obviously, he was trying to listen to his brain while his body was telling him to just take her on the spot. "We can't… your first time shouldn't be in such a place. Above all, it shouldn't be withme."

"Why not?" she asked. "I want you."

"And I want you, but this is just not right. I can't be the perfect man for you. I'm not what you deserve. I'm tainted. I'm not entirely good."

"That's bullshit! Your actions are telling me who you really are!"

"I did it all for you! It's for _you!_ Who knows how long I would've been stalling if you hadn't appeared in my life! Maybe I would never be brave enough to…"

"I will never believe this. You are brave and even if I wasn't here, I _know_ deep down in my heart, you would finally stand up to your father. I _know_ it, Lex. I love you!" She stopped, cutting immediately. But it was already too late. The words had been spoken. She couldn't take them back.

"You love me?" he asked, completely stunned and his hands dropped from her shoulders to his sides loosely. "You love me?" he repeated in a whisper.

"Yes, I do," she decided to be brave. She had nothing to lose anyway. She was twenty three years old and had never been in love before. Never had had sex before. If she finally felt _this _much for a man, she would not stop until she would be sure there would be no chance for them. Only she was sure there was a chance.

She came closer again and put her hands back to his face, forcing him to look her deep in the eye.

"I do love you. I don't expect you to feel the same. I don't want to force you into anything, any promise. I just want you to know that there is someone in this world that loves you. I want you to know that you deserve it. I want you to know that if you feel the same I will be waiting for you forever. Even when I get home… I will be waiting."

"Chloe Sullivan," Lex said, his voice horsed, "you are the most incredible, wonderful and dear woman on this earth. I love you, too. With all my heart. And I never felt that way towards anyone. I never really thought I could love someone until you appeared in my life."

"Then, Lex Luthor, I guess you can make love to me now," she said, tears in her eyes.

"Are you sure you want this?" he asked again. "Here?"

"Oh, Lex," she shook her head, "real life isn't perfect. It never goes the way we would like or thought it would go. But it gives us what we need. Besides… I hate to say this, but we might not get another chance."

They both knew the dreadful truth in those words, yet they hoped they would succeed.

"I hated being away from you. I missed you so much. I was so scared that someone might hurt you…" he whispered while caressing her face. "And I almost came too late."

"No, the timing was perfect like always. All dramatic and romantic," Chloe tried to make it all better.

"I was afraid I would break my promise."

"But you didn't, Lex."

He smiled and when there was nothing standing in their way anymore, he kissed her again, slowly, tenderly, trying to pour all of his love and affection into that kiss.

He obviously succeeded, because Chloe whimpered deliciously, what went straight to his cock.

"And… is it ok… that I'm…" she started, "a virgin? I know it must be quite embarrassing, but when I was in college I worked so hard I hardly had any free time and… I never really found anybody I would feel something to…"

"Chloe, Chloe, stop," Lex cut in. "I don't mind and actually, the possessive macho side of me is thrilled that I can be your first and maybe, if everything goes right, your last."

"Everything _will _go right," she repeated, paraphrasing. "Now, can you make love to me already, please?"

He just smiled at her sadly and started kissing her again, his hand slowly reaching her breast until he finally cupped them and massaged, feeling her nipples poking.

She whimpered again as he stimulated them and she pulled on his shirt, taking it off his pants and then fumbling with the buttons.

It finally was off, lying on the floor, and Chloe could see Lex's bare chest. He had a really beautiful body, leaned, perfectly shaped. His muscles weren't too bulky, they were just… ideal. Chloe thought and slid her hands through his chest with pleasure, grazing his nipples, then going down to his belly.

Lex got her shirt off and now while still kissing her, he directed her towards the bed. When the back of her knees came in touch with the edge of it, they buckled and she landed on the soft sheets.

She supported herself on her elbows, moving backwards, towards the headboard.

Lex followed her, hovering above her and kissing again. He couldn't help but keep grazing his still clothed erection against her thigh. She didn't seem to mind, moaning every single time, because his movements were sending jolts of pleasure straight to her core.

Then Lex reached behind her and unhooked her bra.

For a moment he was looking down at her, clearly loving what he saw and then, he brought his lips to her breast.

Chloe felt too much, she couldn't help but keep uttering silent moans and pleas. Every touch, every lick of his tongue over her nipples, every time he sucked on them… it was all too much and she desperately needed release.

So did Lex, apparently. He was trying to hold on, but she clearly saw the signs of him losing control.

"Lex… killing me…" she stammered and put her arms around him, caressing his bare back, then sliding them down to cup his ass.

He shivered.

Then she, satisfied with the effect she had on him, reached to the front of his pants and undid his belt, then his flies.

She was stunned as she saw his cock springing free, hard and prominent. Very big.

Her mouth shaped in a silent "oh".

"Never really wore any underwear," Lex informed her.

"Should've warned me earlier."

It wasn't like she never saw a cock before. She had, but only when some porno adverts had been bothering her on the internet. She never actually saw one on live.

"Are you ok?" Lex asked, worried.

"Yes…" she answered and she realized she really was. "Yeah… I am…" She loved Lex. She desired him. She wanted him. And his cock looked really good.

She reached her hand to him again and stroked him, mesmerized by his reaction.

"Fuck yes…" Lex groaned in such a husky voice that cause Chloe's inner channel to actually clamp.

"God… Lex… I need you so much…" she murmured.

He moved and she lost the hold on him. She didn't mind when she noticed he started fumbling with her pants.

Finally, they were both naked.

"Wait… condom…" Lex murmured under his breath and had to actually stand up and go all the way to his wardrobe.

"Good sign," Chloe actually laughed, "if you had condoms in your bedside table I would start to question your honesty." She couldn't help but admire his perfectly shaped ass, and that strong back, and… when he turned around, his very big penis.

"I wouldn't lie to you, honey," he said and now she felt uncomfortable as he started down on her.

"I was just teasing… I feel too exposed. Would you mind going back to business?" she said.

"You don't have to feel embarrassed, you look gorgeous when naked," he assured her, but listened to her and came back to his position on top on her.

He kissed her again, and trailed a way down her body.

"Lex, I'm ready…" she huffed. "I want you _now."_

"As you wish," he said and she actually felt his fingers on her clit.

"Ah… god… yes…" She arched her back again and rolled her hips to gain more friction. "Fuck… go on…" she pleaded, but he still wasn't entering her.

When he kept rubbing her clit and pushing his fingers into her, she realized why. The orgasm hit her very hard and very unexpectedly.

"Oh yes… fuck… yes… Lex… Lex…"

Lex almost came himself at the sound of her calling his name like that.

"What was that?" she finally asked when the spasms subsided.

"I thought it would be better to stretch you a little bit. After all, I'm pretty big."

"Aren't you cocky?" she pretended to be angry with him. "So sure of himself. Maybe I've seen bigger!"

"First, cocky isn't the best word, or maybe…" his voice trailed off and they both started laughing. "Second, where the hell did you see a bigger penis?!"

"I'm just kidding. You're huge. Go on."

He eyed her warningly, because the tone of her voice was still indicating she was making fun of him.

"Lex, I'm serious! I'm sure I'll be overly satisfied. Well, actually, I wish you were a little bit smaller, because it might've hurt less that…" she stopped when he nudged her entrance with the head of his cock. "God! Go on! Lex, don't you stop!" she pleaded.

"That's better," he said, very proud of himself and pushed further in. "Tell me if that's ok…" he said, all his muscles visibly strained.

"Yeah… yeah… good… go on…" Chloe moaned.

He slowly and gently pushed inside, wishing that he could just fuck her hard, but he knew he couldn't. Not this first time. He wanted it to be special for her, to be something she could remember well, even considering the place they were in. Time for more adventurous fucking would come later.

He finally sheathed himself all the way inside and had to close his eyes shut and remained still. She was so deliciously tight, her inner muscles clang to him in a way that was killing him. He had to move. He had to come… but he would sooner die than to come before her.

He forced himself to open his eyes and look at her, even if the sight of her naked body and his cock buried inside her would be more torturing for him now.

Chloe's face was winced, but as they remained still, the expression slowly went away.

"Are you ok?" he asked. "Did I hurt you?"

"No more than it was unavoidable, I guess… but I think I'm better now…" She wanted to try something and clench her inner muscles around him.

"Fuck!" Lex screamed and pushed inside her. He wasn't able to stop himself. "Sorry…" he said, "but if you keep it up, I will have to start thrusting… you feel too good, my love."

"You can start, that push felt pretty amazing. It still hurts a little, but I need the friction more than I want to avoid the pain…" She actually tried to roll her hips, what caused Lex to push again. "Yes, oh yes, Lex… go on!"

So he did. He pulled away from her and pushed back inside.

This time he only saw pure ecstasy on her face.

"Oh yes, it feels so good… more… I need more…" Chloe murmured. "Please, Lex, give me more…"

So he did again. He brought his face to her and caught her lips. As he was kissing her, he was slowly pushing into her. Their kisses were rather sloppy and they had to stop a few times, because of the sensations that took control over their bodies.

"God… Chloe… can you… come?" Lex finally rasped. His body bathed in sweat. He felt like he'd been through a battle. He had to come or…

"I think so… more… I need more…"

He was afraid to hurt her, but if she asked for it… He drove into her more forcefully, changed his angle a little bit and then she started coming.

"Oh god, yes! Lex! Lex!"

Just the sound of his name on her lips could make him come, but he had to hold on for…

It happened. Chloe's mouth opened widely, she tossed her head aside, jerked her hips against him even more and then, her channel started clasping over him.

"Yes!" he roared and speeded up a little, completely out of control and finally, he released himself in powerful spurts.

Then, he just collapsed on top on her, burying his face in her hair. They were both wet from exertion and perspiration. Their bodies sticking together.

"That was…" Chloe's voice erratic, barely coherent, "I…"

"Me, too…" Lex said and after a few seconds he heaved himself up to be able to look into her eyes, "the best sex of my life."

"Really?" she asked suspiciously.

"Really…" he confirmed and kissed her in such a way that she had to believe him.

"Well, in mine, too," she said and they both laughed.

All he wanted to do was to stay with her like that for a little longer, but he knew he had to take care of the condom, so he slid out of her and stood up to throw it away.

When he came back he noticed there was a little blood on the sheets.

"We'll have to take that off before the housekeeper comes to change it," he noticed, being on alert. "You were supposed to sleep with me a long time ago and they probably think you didn't bleed."

He got back to bed and as he laid down on his back, she quickly snuggled into his chest. He put his arms around her with pleasure.

"Now, will you please, tell me what happened?" she asked.

So he gave her the relation from his meeting with the CIA and then, told her something that actually made her cry.

"I sent a letter to your father."

"What?!" Her body jerked as she propped herself on his chest and look him in the eyes. "What are you talking about?"

So he told her.

The gratitude, the tears in her eyes that expressed such a love for him, had the power to melt his heart completely.

He wanted nothing more than to win the case and stay alive to be able to spend every single day with her to the rest of their lives.

* * *

Gabe Sullivan went to retrieve the mail.

He was still getting thinner, his face much older than from before Chloe had been kidnapped. He wasn't a fool. He knew that chances of finding her, dead or alive, after so long practically equaled zero.

He and Nell Potter were very close now, giving each other the comfort their needed. Once they'd even slept together. At first Gabe hadn't been proud of it, but then he'd realized his daughter, wherever she was, would like for him to have someone. To find a support in other person. So he hadn't pushed Nell away, he quite frankly cared about her a lot. Only he couldn't call it love yet, he would probably never be able to think about someone like that. Not until his Chloe bear would come back home…

Even worst was to see Lana Lang's fiancé, Clark. He looked like a crazy person. Gabe saw him pretty often. He still wasn't giving up. His love for her was too strong. He kept digging, doing research on human trafficking, but both Gabe and Nell knew it was all futile. Only that was the one thing that kept Clark remotely sane. It was hope.

Gabe came back home, looking at the letters he had in his hands. Bills. Bills… wait a moment…

His curiosity was peaked when he noticed an envelope with his address just printed on it, with no return one.

He ripped it open and was looking at it, completely stunned.

_You're daughter, along with the other girl, are alive. I'm doing my best to help them. Hopefully, I will succeed._


	9. Chapter 9

**Part 9**

When Chloe woke up the next morning, she was feeling very hot and uncomfortably sore.

There was an arm draped around her and a warm body spooning her from the back. That explained the heat, she thought, but didn't move away. It felt good. It felt right. She wasn't alone anymore. She had someone to wake up to. What more, it was the man she dearly loved. She couldn't be happier now while still being in such an awful place.

The soreness between her legs was bothering, but there was nothing Chloe could do with it. After all, Lex was pretty big and she was petite, so it was unavoidable. She hoped it would go away quickly, because she intended on repeating their performance as often as she could. She didn't know how long it would take later on when Lex would be the key witness in his father's trial. It might be some time before they would be able to get together for real.

Chloe gently stroked Lex's arm that was still wrapped around her.

"Good morning, my sunshine," she heard his voice in her ear, sending shivers down her back.

"You're awake," she squealed and turned her head to look at him.

Their eyes met and she felt like she could drown in the depths of his. There was so much love and affection for her in them.

She shifted her body towards him, placed her hand to his cheek and kissed him softly.

Only Lex always made her feel so needy that they were soon kissing urgently, opening their months to join their tongues.

"Lex…" Chloe pulled away to catch a breath. "Wait…" she placed her hand to his chest, keeping him at distance. "I'm getting… aroused and… I feel…"

"Sore?" he finished after her.

"Well, yeah… So I don't think I…"

"Shhh…" He put his finger to her lips. "Say no more, honey. I understand. We don't have to actually have sex to enjoy our time."

"Oh, good…" she said. "I really, really want you to be inside me again, but not like this. I think it may hurt instead of bringing me to climax.

"Ok. No problem," he said, but then he lowered his head to her chest and took her nipple into his mouth.

"Lex…" Chloe started, already falling on her pillows. "Lex… what are you…"

But she had no strength left to protest as she was now dripping wet.

Would he really push anyway? When she'd told him "no"?

She shouldn't doubt him, she thought, feeling guilty about it when Lex actually opened her legs and then… she felt his tongue on her clit.

Her body jerked and she uttered something incoherent.

"So it's good, then?" Lex chuckled while holding her legs still.

Good? It was much more than that, she thought as she took into the sight of his bald head between her legs.

"Are you…" she had to gather her thoughts. "Are you… comfortable… down there?"

"Of course," he answered and sucked on her clit.

"Oh God, yes!" Chloe screamed. "Lex! Yes, Lex!"

He continued his ministrations while licking and sucking on her until she came hard against his lips.

Then he pulled away, took a tissue from his bedside table and wiped his face.

"How was that?" he asked with a cocky smile.

"Aren't you pompous?" she answered back, teasing him. "That was amazing, only…"

"What? You can tell me."

"Was it comfortable for you? I mean… is it ok to be down there… like that?"

"Of course. I love the way you taste. Believe me, it was good for me."

She took a peak at his crouch and was welcomed by a very urgent erection.

"Yeah…" Lex noticed her staring. "Sorry… I couldn't stop myself. I actually woke up half erected already. I'll go take care of this." And he just got up from bed and trotted to the bathroom.

"Lex?" Chloe called his name, completely stunned. "Lex?!"

He didn't come back.

When he got in the shower and turned on the hot water, was just about to grasp his cock to bring himself to some release, he felt the cold waft of air.

He turned around abruptly, shocked by seeing Chloe stepping into the shower after him.

"Chloe?" he asked.

"Why are you so surprised?" she asked with exasperated sign. "I wanted to help you out. Don't look at me like I'm some poor little virgin, who's afraid of everything. I am _not _afraid. I want to experiment. I've got around without sex for so long that I need it now. And I can try some oral if you want."

"I… I'm sorry…" Lex swallowed hard, having difficulties with thinking when she brought her hand to his shaft and stroked him gently. "Fuck yeah," he muttered as she did so.

Suddenly, he realized that his fantasy from over a week ago was just coming true.

"Tell me what to do," he heard Chloe's voice as she kept stroking him, applying more pressure.

"You're doing… just fine…" he rasped, closing his eyes and leaning against the tiled wall. Hot water falling on them both.

"Am I doing it right? Tell me, Lex. Tell me…"

"Harder…" he said and as she applied more pressure again, he groaned deeply in his throat.

She, clearly encouraged by this reaction, fell to her knees.

"Chl…" Lex started, but his voice got stuck in his throat as he felt her hot tongue twirling over the head of his cock. "Oh God… Chloe! Yes!"

She, then, took him into her mouth and started sucking, doing her best to make it right.

She assumed she was as Lex's responses were so out of control that she felt exhilarated by the amount of pleasure she could give to him.

And then, she decided to bring her other hand to Lex's balls and squeezed gently, as she read once in a magazine…

Lex's hips jerked violently into her and she had to quickly adjust her movements as not to gag. She managed, fortunately, and then he came, straight into her mouth. She swallowed, having no other choice as he was still in her mouth, but she didn't mind. It was intimate, it was bonding them. All the things they'd shared was making them one being.

She finally released his seated cock from her moth and stood up.

Lex was still leaning against the wall, breathing heavily.

She loved the sight of his chest muscles as it was raising up and down.

"Sorry…" he said after few more seconds. "I let go and…"

"It's ok. I enjoyed it."

He eyed her carefully.

"What? I believed you when you said you enjoyed giving cunnilingus to me, so…"

He laughed and swept her into his arms, kissing her under the hot stream.

* * *

"So, there's really no way of finding out who sent this? At least where this came from?" Gabe asked the sheriff.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sullivan, but no. Whoever wrote this, came to a lot of trouble with covering their tracks. I say… you ignore it. It may be a prank."

"Why would someone go to such lengths to cover the tracks if that was just a prank?" Nell Potter asked, running her hand along Gabe's arm to give him some comfort.

"Then I suggest you pray this person will succeed, because I'm sorry to say that, Mr. Sullivan, but only a miracle can bring your daughter back at this point."

* * *

"Oh, yes, yes… yeah… ahh…. LEX! LEX!" Chloe was screaming as Lex had her bent over a backrest of a chair and was fucking her from behind. "Oh, yes, Lex! LOVE! LEX!" she came so powerfully, it nearly knocked her out. And it was the second time.

First Lex had entered her doggie style on the bed and managed not to come himself, even when she'd noticed he'd been barely holding on, his body already bathed in sweat. Then, he'd had his way with her over the chair and now, was finally coming with a roar escaping his throat.

They had no strength left, they just stayed like that, joined, bent over the chair.

Chloe felt uncomfortable hanging like that and her stomach hurt from the hard wood.

Lex seemed to get the hint, so he got off of her, gently pulled her towards the bed and went to dispose of the condom.

When he got back she was lying exhausted with her head on his pillow.

He got into bed and spooned her.

"How long?" she asked.

It'd been a week. A week of their constant wild fucking and making love and Lex's contacting with the CIA.

Lex's laptop now had had an untraceable connection to the CIA and they'd shared information through it. It was still risky, but no one would be able to decipher the messages even if they intercepted it.

"I don't know. They're preparing. They have to be careful as to catch my father and have this place surrounded. There will be a fight. Possibly life lost. And they want to get as much information of the girls' whereabouts as they can, so they can rescue as many as possible.

It was difficult to adjust to the fact that not every single women that Lionel had abducted would be saved. It just wasn't possible. He'd been running the business for far too long. Many was already dead, many was lost forever.

Chloe knew that Lex kept blaming himself and she also knew there was some truth in that. He should've acted earlier. But she understood him, she really did. And she was so in love with him, so she could overlook _anything_. He didn't kill anyone after all. And he loved her, loved her like no one had ever loved her before. He was everything to him and she couldn't lose him.

* * *

"You know, you should try to look a little bit more devastated," Lana noticed with sudden bitterness in her voice as Chloe finally came back to their room.

"What?" she asked.

"Everyone who can take a closer look at your face can tell that you're actually _happy_," Lana hissed.

"Lana…" Chloe didn't know what to say. "Lana, I'm sorry, I…"

"How long, Chloe?" Lana lowered her voice, so no one but Chloe could hear her. "How long am I supposed to endure the agony of being at service to that bastard when you keep fucking his son? Why won't you two actually do something more useful with your time?"

"Lana," Chloe's eyes widely opened, horrified. "Lana, I'm sorry you got that impression. It's just not that simple. It's not just us. We have to know where the others are as well. Then we…"

"Chloe, I'm tired," Lana started sobbing. "I can't take it anymore… I… I'm broken… even if I come back to Clark now… is he even waiting for me? Did he look for comfort in someone else's arms? Did he fuck some other girl? Will I be able to give him myself when I… Oh, god…"

"Lana…" Chloe had no idea what to say or do. Well, she could give Lana a hug. She knew it wasn't enough, but there was really nothing else she could do for her right now. "Lana, I'll help you. You won't be alone. I'll be there with you. I'll help you go through this… I don't know Clark, but I can't imagine any man who would settle for somebody else while having you around." She kept stroking Lana's dark hair. "Please, believe me…"

It was then, when they heard screams in the entrance hall.

"What the…?" Chloe pulled away from her friend and tried to listen.

It was definitely Lionel, screaming his throat out.

She tried to make out some words and…

She froze. Terrified.

_Lex, _she thought and before anyone could stop her, she ran there, to the scene, risking being caught, risking her own life. She had to know… she had to… save him? But how?

When she finally appeared in the hall, she couldn't see anything as there was a group of girls in there, standing and watching the scene in front of them. Chloe didn't know them, so they had to be from the other room. She pushed them away, trying to see something…

"Did you think I was THAT STUPID?!" Lionel roared and there was a moan.

A moan coming from Lex's mouth!

_No! _crossed Chloe's mind. _NO! PLEASE, NOT THIS!_

As she finally pushed her way trough she stopped abruptly.

Lex was lying on the floor. Lionel must've pushed him from the last couple of stairs. Fortunately, it didn't look like anything was broken. Only Lionel was now kicking his own son hard with his every word, "WERE YOU THAT STUPID AS TO THINK _MY PEOPLE _WOULDN'T KNOW ABOUT SOME UNKOWN TRANSMITIONS?! WITH WHOM YOU WERE TALKING?! ANSWER ME!"

Lex's eyes found Chloe and she gasped as she saw his pained expression. It was apology, it was longing, it was regret. But he also pleaded her not to come over, not to show herself, not to let Lionel know she was a part of it all.

"Doesn't matter," Lex said in strangely calm voice. "They're coming for you and there's nothing you can do to stop it." And to his father's horror, he actually smiled at him.

"You are _not _my son!" Lionel growled.

It happened within a second.

One moment Lionel was reaching to his pocket. There next there was shot and the bullet hit Lex in the chest.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Chloe roared. Her heart bleeding, her life already lost as she thought Lex's was gone as well.

Lionel stilled, then he turned around to look who screamed.

He didn't even have to.

Chloe's legs moved on their own accord as she shot forward and got to Lex, kneeling beside him on the floor, taking his head gently in her hands and placing it on her knees. She also applied some pressure on his chest wound to stop the bleeding. He was still alive, looking at her in pain and fear in her eyes.

They both knew they would both die now, when she revealed herself to Luthor senior. Only Chloe didn't care. Her life ended with that shot anyway.

"Please, please…" she found herself pleading Lex while sobbing. "Please, hold on… please, live…" She kept repeating those words, kept stroking his bald, dear head, kept pressuring his wound even though she knew it was all for nothing. It was too late.

"_You_?" Lionel asked, disgust clear in his voice. "_You two?_ I feel sick."

Chloe noticed Lana standing along with the girls. Gladly, she didn't move. Maybe at least she could be saved.

She shifted her eyes back to Lex's face.

"Run!" he yelled at her, clearly not having enough strength left to do so, but he did anyway. "Save yourself! RUN!"

"Where to?" she just asked. "I love you, Lex."

"Chloe, please… for me… run… save yourself…" blood appeared on his lips.

"Never. I won't leave you," she promised, still holding him.

She suddenly felt something cold put to her temple.

She knew it was the barrel of Lionel's gun.

She was waiting for the shot to run out. She was waiting for the imminent death to come, so she could be with Lex forever. In some other world.

Only, it didn't come. Not yet.

"You make me so sick!" Lionel continued. "Love?! Love doesn't exist! Love is just an illusion! Only power matters! But you were always too weak to comprehend it, Alexander!"

"Oh, no," Lex denied to both, Chloe's and Lionel's, surprise. "For the… first… time in… my life… I'm strong."

"Lex…" Chloe sobbed. "Please…"

"I wonder… shall I fuck you first or maybe just get it over with and kill you on the spot?" Lionel asked, poking Chloe's temple with the gun.

Chloe shivered, terrified, but she wouldn't try to run. There was nowhere to run to anyway. She just wanted to be with Lex. Till his last breath. Then she didn't care what would happen to her as long as she could join him soon.

She looked into Lex's eyes, as she thought, one last time, then she bent down to kiss his lips that were now covered with his blood. Lex wanted to touch her face, but he didn't have any strength left in him. He could just watch.

Then Chloe turned her head and looked up, right into Lionel's cold eyes, and she said, "kill me."

"No!" she heard Lana's scream and she started praying for the girl to just stand still and stop talking. She could come out of it alive. She still had that chance.

Then Lionel just smirked at her and she knew he made his decision. She could tell.

He would use her first, then he would shoot her.

"Nooooo! Dad, no!" Lex screamed, then he started coughing blood.

"Lex, please, don't speak…" Chloe turned back to him. "Please…" Tears streaming down her face.

Then it happened. She heard a shot.

Only, she was still breathing. She was still alive.

Or maybe it was so quick she was actually dead? Ready to move on to the other side?

But when she looked at Lionel… he wasn't there. He was lying on the floor. A bullet hole in his forehead.

Then she looked in the direction of the door.

They came. Agents. They finally decided to attack. Lex had been right telling his father that it was too late.

Only it was also _too late for them._

"Lex?" Chloe asked while looking down at his face. "Lex? Can you hear me? No! Don't fall asleep! Lex!"

"Miss…" one of the agent came over to her.

"No! He has to live! He _has _to!"

"Miss, step aside…"

Chloe was taken away from Lex forcefully. She tried to struggle, but it didn't go very well for her.

"NOO!" she cried.

Then, she stilled as she noticed the agent actually keeping the pressure on Lex's wound. He wouldn't do that if Lex was dead, right?

"We have to take him to a hospital right away! He doesn't have much time! He needs operation!" she heard and that was when a new born hope entered her.

Lex still had a chance.


	10. Chapter 10

**In answer to Lala's (hope I got your nick right) review: **I'm sorry for ending the previous chapter at such a point. I just love cliffhangers.

* * *

**Part 10**

Chloe was sitting in Russian hospital's waiting room. She'd been brought there with the rest of the girls, after Lex, but no one wanted to tell her anything about him.

She was angry. She was so angry she could just stand up and rip all those strange posters that were plastered to the wall. She couldn't understand that strange symbols that were obviously the Russian language anyway.

"Ms. Sullivan?" one of the agents, who seemed to be the leader, called her again.

She'd been through a check-up, involving a general doctor and a gynecologist. Even when she'd protested, said she hadn't been harm any way, they'd insisted. It was the procedure, they'd told her.

She sighed heavily and walked into the doctor's office along with that agent.

"Ms. Sullivan, your father was just informed that we've found you, he's on the line if you want to talk to him," the agent said in tired voice and pointed the phone.

Chloe looked at him, stunned. Was he really… Could she just… talk to her dear father? Just like that? After _everything_?

She looked down on the phone and then, back at the agent.

"Yes, he really is on the other line. Please, hurry, we still have other girls to take care of."

Chloe got to the phone and took the receiver.

"D…daddy?" she stammered.

* * *

When Gabe Sullivan was woken up by a ringing phone that morning, he could feel something important was happening. He _knew_ it was about his daughter.

He'd been praying and firmly believing that she would be alright, that whoever had sent that letter to him, they would succeed.

Now he would finally know what had happened.

Why would he get a phone call at six in the morning if it wasn't about his Chloe bear?

"Hello?!" he picked it up right away and almost dropped the receiver, so badly his hands were shaking.

"Mr. Gabriel Sullivan?"

"Yes, that's me."

"We have a good news. We found your daughter."

The emotions that ran through Gabe at this moment couldn't be described. He felt like a huge burden was taken from his shoulders, like all those weeks of imagining what might've happened to her just disappeared. His thoughts were always full of all that disturbing images. He was so afraid that some people, especially men, might've hurt his little girl. A girl who hadn't even had a boyfriend yet, who hadn't got to know the pleasure of life. Gabe wasn't stupid, he knew once Chloe would finally find the right man she would not be a saint, but he didn't mind. He just wanted her to be happy. After all, she deserved it after so much of hardship she'd had to go through to get to the point of her life, where she could say she'd fulfilled her biggest dream. And once she'd done that all, she'd been taken, kidnapped. Could there be any worse fate for a father as not to know what had happened to his only daughter? The only person he had in the entire world?

"Is she… is she alright?" Gabe asked, close to crying.

"Yeeesss…" there was slight hesitation in the man's voice, what caused Gabe's stomach to actually twirl. "She is alright. All in one piece. Let me call for her, so she could talk to you."

Gabe couldn't say another word at this point. His Chloe would come to the phone. His Chloe would talk to him! He would hear her voice!

Now he had to find his tongue again to be able to answer her.

He seemed to be waiting forever. What was taking so long? Why wasn't she coming to the phone? She was alright! She _had _to be alright!

And then he heard some rattling and…

"D… Daddy?" she stammered.

"Chloe! Chloe, are you alright?!" He didn't have to be afraid of finding his own voice, because it came on its own as soon as he heard her.

"Yes, yes, I am fine."

"Where are you?"

"I was… I was abducted and…" she stopped, taking a deep breath. "I'll tell you when I come back home, ok, daddy?" She was crying now. "It's too much to just say it over the phone."

"But are you _alright?_"

"Yes, I am. Don't worry."

"Has…" Gabe had to swallow and actually try to even out his breathing before he asked this question. "Has somebody hurt you?"

"No, nothing bad happened to me, I promise. Daddy, you have to tell Nell Potter Lana's ok."

"Lana?"

"Yes, she'd been through… some stuff… pretty bad… but… she's alive. She misses Clark."

"I will tell her, I will call her right away."

"Oh, they just told me they'll call Nell after our conversation ends, so you don't have to…"

"Then I will go to Nell right away."

"Daddy…"

"Yes, Chloe bear?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too!" Gabe was crying now as well.

"I'll be home soon."

"I'll be waiting."

* * *

"Now..." the agent started when Chloe hang up. She wanted to keep talking to her dad, but the agent kept signaling her she should end the call. She wasn't angry with him, she knew there was a lot of girls in the line and they all wanted to call their families. "Now…" the agent repeated. "Explain to me, Ms. Sullivan, how come you haven't been hurt?"

"What?" Chloe didn't understand the question. "I haven't."

"So why your records, that we found in that facility, says that you were a virgin when you came there, and now… you're not. The doctor checked you, remember?"

"No one hurt me," Chloe repeated.

"It's alright," agent's voice was more soothing now. "You're save now. Lionel Luthor is dead. Whoever you're afraid of, we can deal with them."

"I'm telling you the truth! No one forced me into anything!"

"Forced?" the agent's eyebrows elevated. "Excuse me for prying, but…"

"Is Lex Luthor alright? Please, tell me! I've been dying ever since you took me away from him! I _need_ to know if he's alive!" Chloe raised her voice in desperation.

"What is your relation with Lex Luthor?"

"This is none of your business!" Chloe sputtered and stood up. "I demand to see him!"

"I'm afraid it's not possible," the agent raised as well. "As soon as the surgery was over he was taken on a private plane back to America."

"Excuse me?!" Chloe was seething now. "And no one told me?! He would want me to be there for him, I know he would!"

"He was still under sedation. He'll wake up when the plane will land and they'll take him to a safer facility. His father might be dead, but he is still the key witness and we promised him protection. Now… I know you, he told us about you when he came to us, but I had to be sure he really wasn't hurting him."

"You still don't trust him, do you?" Chloe asked. "He _never_ hurt any woman. I can swear that! I can testify that in the court if I have to!"

"Ok, I believe you, Ms. Sullivan."

"Now, could you please put me on some plane, so I can get to him?"

"I'm afraid that's impossible."

"Why?! Why is that impossible when he obviously wants me there?!"

"He needs to stay in safety until he gets better. He's still not out of the woods. He needs the best care he can get. No one is allowed to see him. Even you."

"But… Lionel is dead…"

"His accomplices aren't. Luthor junior can also provide us with evidence that will let us sentence some of the policemen here. It's all corrupted."

"I know… I'm a witness of that, too."

"And we will take your confession right away. I am sorry, Ms. Sullivan, but you have to be patient. I'm sure Mr. Luthor understands it and you should, too. It's bigger than the two of you."

"Can you promise me he'll find me when he can?" Chloe asked again. She felt emptiness in her heart, and pain. It was bizarre really. All this time she'd wanted to come back home to her father, but now… now she would give everything away to go to Lex. Her father could wait. She knew it was wrong to think like that, she knew it was selfish. But it didn't change her feelings.

* * *

"Nell! Nell!" Gabe ran down the street, to the Talon, where he knew Nell would be at this time. Since her niece had disappeared Nell had taken over her duties there. "Nell!" He got to the door and pushed them open, running inside. "NELL!"

People that were there already, drinking their first cup of coffee before work, stared at him.

Finally, he saw her. Behind the counter, her back turned on him. She was slightly shaking.

"Nell?" he came over to her, his voice lowering until it almost became a whisper. "Nell?"

She turned to look at him, her eyes full of tears, but there was also happiness on her face.

"They… they called me..."

"I know, they called me, too!"

"I spoke to… I spoke to Lana…" Nell's body shook even more and she cried harder. "She's alive… hurt… used… but alive!"

"Chloe is alright!" Gabe told her.

"Oh, Gabe! I'm so happy they're both alive!"

Gabe took Nell into his arms.

"Wait… Clark… I need to tell Clark… Lana wanted to talk to him so badly… and he wasn't here…"

"We'll find Clark," Gabe promised. "Right away!"

He felt like a new born man. There was no more pain, no more fear of what might've happened.

Chloe was coming home.

Gabe was so happy that he kissed Nell.

* * *

Every hour that Chloe spent away from Lex was a knife into her heart. She missed him so much. She kept seeing him in her head, lying in her arms, blood spilling from his chest. She kept feeling that fear, remembered how she'd thought he would die and wanted to die with him.

She wanted to see him, to touch him, to kiss him. She wanted to see on her own eyes that he was alright, so she could replace that bloody and battered picture in her head with healthy and happy Lex.

She'd got a message from the agent, before boarding the plane he'd taken her aside, making her promise she would not tell anyone he'd told her. It was then, when she'd found out Lex was still alive and would stay that way. The agent was sure that as soon as this all died down a little bit, Lex would be able to come back to her.

Chloe had that day to look forward to. Now she felt guilty that she no longer looked forward to seeing her dad. She felt like she was a bad daughter, but then, she was in love. Love was shadowing all other senses, focusing one's mind on the loved person. She shouldn't feel guilty. It was natural, right? Lana had always been telling her how much she'd wanted to see Clark and she'd barely mentioned her aunt.

Chloe decided her father would not be mad at her. He would understand.

The plane finally landed and the girls were free to go.

"Chloe," Lana said and reached her hand to her.

"Lana," Chloe smiled to her and took the offered hand. "We'll get through this together, as I promised. I'll help you get over the past. I promise you that if there are any obstacles between you and Clark, I will help you overcome them."

"Thank you." Lana forced a smile to her face. "I love him so much… and I trust him, but… I'm afraid…"

"I know, honey, I know. And I miss Lex so much. I wish I could be by his side…"

"I'm here for you if you want to talk about Lex, too. I'm sorry I said all those awful things about you two."

"It's ok. I understand. Ready?"

"Ready."

The girls left the plane and walked through the longue together.

Finally, it was time to go see their families. They didn't have any baggage to reclaim.

It was then, when Chloe saw her father.

At first she had difficulties with recognizing him, because he was so much slimmer than the last time she'd seen him. All this time she'd been telling him to ease up on the greasy stuff and it'd taken _so much _to finally made him stop eating it. Chloe felt guilty again, although she knew it was never her fault.

And then she was running towards her father, who, on seeing her, spread his arms.

And they closed around her, taking her in his embrace.

"Chloe bear," he cried into her ear, holding her so tight she was afraid she might stop breathing.

"Daddy…" she whispered.

He let her go and cupped her face, looking at her closely.

"You haven't changed at all," he finally said and swept her into his arms again. "I'm so happy to have you back. I'm so happy you're ok."

"I am, dad, I really am," she reassured him.

When they finally parted, Chloe looked aside at Lana.

Her friend was now in the arms of a very tall, dark haired man.

They were both crying and when they let go off each other, Chloe could see the stubble on the man's face, the redness in his eyes, the exhaustion visible. He must've really loved Lana. Suddenly, Chloe _knew _that Clark Kent would be able to help his fiancée get through all her issues. He was a good man, she could tell. And Lana only deserved the best.

* * *

They had to drive for six hours to Smallville, so they had plenty of time to catch up.

They all got into Clark's huge truck and… both Lana and Chloe couldn't say anything.

Nell and Gabe seemed to understand it. Clark was shooting Lana worried looks from time to time.

"So…" Gabe finally spoke, "I realize Nell and Clark are strangers to you, Chloe, and I am a stranger to you, Lana, but… could you tell us…"

Lana looked at Chloe, clearly terrified.

The blond knew her friend didn't want to talk about anything that had happened to her. She wanted to forget, to put it all behind her.

"I don't think…" Chloe started, trying to help her out, "I don't think you want to know it all… and I don't think we're able to tell you the details," she said and saw her father cringing slightly. "You already… realize where we were and what happened…"

"But… how… how were you rescued? Who sent me the letter?" Gabe asked, "I would like to know that. I'm sure it won't be painful for you to answer that one..."

* * *

"Are seriously trying to defend him?!"

Chloe was crying. Lana remained silent, staring through the window, holding Clark's hand.

Gabe was yelling. He was actually yelling at his daughter.

"Yes, dad! I am! Without him… I would've been lost by now! I would've been raped or dead! Don't you see he saved us all?! He's a hero!"

"I don't doubt that he finally did the right thing, but… Chloe, how can you believe you can start a life with him? How can you even _love _him?!"

"Dad, I do! I do love him and there's nothing you can do to change that!"

"But…"

"He _saved _me!"

"Exactly! That is why I don't really think it's love. It's… a Stockholm syndrome or something… or you believe you owe him for saving you and…"

"Oh, you did not just say that!" Chloe couldn't believe it.

She'd just got back. She would be in her father's house in Smallville soon. And they were actually fighting. About her love for Lex. After _everything _she'd been through, they were fighting now.

"Dad, I'd been looking for true love for so long… let me be happy when I finally found it," she just said and wiped her tears away.

"I just… I can't accept that my little girl is in a relationship with a son of the man who did so many horrible things."

"Lex is not his father," Lana suddenly spoke, causing everybody to look at her. "I saw it. I saw how much happiness he gave Chloe. He gave me hope when I wanted… when I wanted to end it all. You can't control who you're daughter falls for. You actually should be happy that she found a man who's willing to sacrifice _everything_ for her, even die for her if necessary."

There was silence. They were all thinking through Lana's words, all shocked with her speech.

Clark was the first one to react.

"I think Lana's right," he squeezed her hand gently. "I will thank that man when I see him. You should, too, Mr. Sullivan."

"Dad," Chloe spoke again. She finally stopped crying. "I love you, I really do, but you can't control my life."

"I just want the best for you."

"This is real life. It's not a fairy tale. I know you're dreaming of me marrying some perfect man, but… for me Lex is that perfection. Please, understand that."

"Chloe bear… it's just… it's just… too much… for one day…"

"He saved my life," she repeated. "I wouldn't have been here if it hadn't been for him. You wouldn't have even known what had happened to me. Would you like that? Or do you prefer me being happy? In love?"

"Bear…"

"Ok, I'm sorry, but I'm not a little girl anymore. I appreciate everything you've done for me, but you have to let me live my life now."

"Gabe…" Nell spoke and gently stoked his arm, "she's right."

* * *

They didn't speak until they reached Smallville.

Clark drove Chloe and Gabe to Gabe's house and they were left alone.

Chloe felt bad. Also, she felt like she was playing in a very bad movie. She'd just got back to her father and what they'd done? They'd been arguing about Lex. So weird, so stupid.

It wasn't how she'd imagined that day.

"Chloe, I want to say…" Gabe started when they walked into the house.

He stopped on Chloe's reaction. She was staring at the table and there, on it, was the flower she'd bought right before she'd been kidnapped.

"Dad…" she just whispered and started crying again. "God, you have this?"

"I would never throw it away," he said.

She turned to him.

"Dad, I won't bare not having you in my life, so I'm asking you… please, I'm begging you, accept my choices."

"Do you mean that you would actually… leave me forever… if I didn't accept Lex?" Gabe asked, horror visible in his eyes.

"No, but I know that we would never be the same again. I know that our connection would be lost. I will not give up on him. I don't want anyone else. Please, understand and respect that."

"Chloe…"

"Please, dad… I can't choose between you both. I can't lose any of you."

"I think I… I can try and… meet him… give him a chance…"

"Oh, God, thank you so much!" And Chloe ran into his father's arms again.

Gabe knew things would never come back to the way they'd been before. He knew everything would change.

He'd known for some time that someday he would have to let Chloe go, give her to some man. He just hadn't realized it would come so fast.

He had to accept that, he told himself. He couldn't make her unhappy. He would hate to see her face so devastated. And her face still looked that way. He knew it would remain sad till whoever Lex was would appear in her door. And if he didn't… well, then Gabe would come after him and beat the crap out of him.

When Gabe let go off his daughter, he realized something. He wouldn't be alone. He had someone, didn't he? He had Nell Potter…

* * *

**A/N** Please, don't be mad at Gabe. Put yourself in his position. He gets his daughter back, when he thought she would be raped or dead and he would never see her again, and then he finds out she's in love with the son of her kidnapper.


	11. Chapter 11

**Part 11**

"So… any news?" Gabe asked tentatively when they ran out of topics during their weekly dinner.

They were all sitting in a dining room in Gabe's house in Smallville. It became somehow a tradition that every week Nell and Gabe were inviting Chloe and Lana with Clark.

"No, nothing new," Chloe answered, her mood getting a little bit worse, so she reached for her glass of wine.

"Sweety, be careful, it's your second," Gabe said.

"Dad, I'm an adult and I don't make a big deal out of your cholesterol, do I?"

"No, but now Nell took your place in that, so I guess we're even."

"Just…" Chloe put the fork and knife down. "Could we please just talk about something else? How are you Lana? Are you feeling any better?"

"Yes, I guess I am…" Lana said, her voice not really sure, but then Clark covered her hand with his to give her some comfort.

"Lana has been seeing a counselor," he said. "She's doing much better."

"Glad to hear that." Chloe forced a smile on her face.

"Sweety, you know I just want the best for you," Gabe started again like they were still talking about his daughter's well-being.

"Dad, let it go!"

"I hate to tell you this…"

"He _will _come back, understood?!" Chloe raised her voice. Her appetite lost completely, so she just emptied her glass. "Those kind of things take time."

"Yes, but you were testifying last week. Why didn't he come to see you?"

"He's in a safe house. He couldn't come."

"Are you sure?"

"Father," Chloe said coldly and that stirred Gabe. She never called him "father" unless she was really angry with him. "He's writing to me."

"Are you sure? It can be anyone. It's not like you talked to him over phone."

Chloe closed her eyes and rubbed them.

She came back in her mind to that day when she'd entered her new apartment in Metropolis. She'd been exhausted. The series of articles she'd still been writing had made her name known in the world. She'd probably gotten promoted faster than any reporter in the history. Yet, she'd been so unhappy. It'd been a week and still, no word from Lex.

Then she'd opened her e-mail box and there it'd been. A message from him. He'd apologized for not calling or writing, he couldn't earlier. They'd barely agreed to establish a secure Internet connection that had been constantly overriding his IP address. He'd told her he loved her, that he would come back to her as soon as he would be able to.

Chloe was staring at her plate, still full of food, she felt everybody's eyes on her. A month had gone by and Lex still wasn't there with her.

"Next Saturday they'll be processing one of Lionel Luthor's closest accomplices. He's the one that could be of grave danger to Lex. When that is done, he will be free," Lana spoke.

She had been doing it very rarely since they'd gotten out and she was always surprising Chloe when she came out with something like _that._

"See, dad?" Chloe forced a smile on her face, but it looked grotesque.

"Ok," Gabe sighed heavily. "But if that bastard doesn't show up in next two weeks, I'll personally go to Washington to kick his ass!"

The case of Lionel Luthor and his businesses was so huge that the government had decided to deal with it as soon as possible, therefore all other trials had been delayed.

"I doubt his safe house is there," Chloe voiced her opinion.

"You never know. Maybe it is, because logically, everyone would think it isn't."

* * *

"Lana, can you honestly tell me how you're doing?" Chloe asked her friend when they went to do the dishes, alone.

"Better, much better, but naturally… it'll be a long time before I… I adjust to my life again, put that horrible past behind me."

"What about Clark? Is he dealing with it ok?"

"We haven't…" Lana started, but then changed her mind and stopped, "you know," she added.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's ok… after all that… but we'll get there. I no longer flinch when he touches me and… I can feel I will eventually get pass it all."

"I'm happy for you. If you ever want to have a girl night, just call me and you can come to Metropolis for a weekend. We stay at my place and watch old movies."

Lana smiled.

"That sounds like fun."

* * *

A week later there was no light left in Chloe. Lex's connection was cut off as she received another e-mail saying that he was alright, but couldn't talk to her anymore.

She was miserable. She missed him so badly. She craved for his touch, his smell, the smoothness of the skin on his head. She'd even been having vivid erotic dreams about him and she always woke up before he entered her.

And then, a day after the trial, she started thinking whether Lex left her forever. Maybe what had happened in Russia wasn't as real to him as it was to her. Maybe he'd realized it was all a fluke. Maybe he'd decided that he wasn't in love with her after all, that he'd just been feeling so protective of her, wanted to save her so badly, that he'd mistaken it for something real.

She knew it wasn't true, but she couldn't help having all those thoughts. She even began to forget how he looked like. When she closed her eyes all she saw was a tall, lean man with bald head. No features. No eyes. No expression. Everything went blank.

"Sweetheart, you know I love you and I'm sorry for everything I've said about him… but I just hate to see you so hurt," Gabe told her over the phone. "If he doesn't show up… he's not worth it, Chloe. He is not worthy of your love. Please, let him go. I want to see a smile on your face. I hate to see you just waiting for him to come to you."

"Daddy, I understand you, I really do, but I…" Chloe was so close to crying.

And just then, she heard knocking.

"Dad, let me call you back," she said and straightened up in her chair. She glanced at the clock. Eleven thirty pm. She didn't expect anyone.

"Chloe, what…"

"Someone's at the door."

"Be careful."

"I will."

She hung up and trotted to the door.

First, she looked. Of course she wouldn't just open the door at such a late hour, she had to look through the peephole.

Her stomach twirled, her heart started beating so fast that her breathing became erratic in the matter of a second.

Bald head. Those eyes…

She started fumbling with the lock and it took her a little bit longer than usual to open the door as her hands were shaking.

But she did it, she opened it widely.

"Lex!" she yelled and, before the man managed to say something or react, she jumped to him, putting her arms around his neck. "Oh my God, I can't believe it's really you," she whispered into his ear. Tears in her eyes. She could feel his familiar expensive scent. She remembered the texture of his body. It was her Lex.

Then his arms flung around her and well as he embraced her so tightly she had difficulties with breathing.

Then, they let go off each other and Chloe just cupped his face, looking deep into his blue gray eyes.

The image of his bloody body lying on her knees was gone, replaced by the obviously healthy Lex standing right in front of her.

"I missed you so much," she whispered and brought her lips to his like he was water and she'd been thirsty from over a month.

Lex groaned when she licked his bottom lip and soon he was pushing her against the wall in her apartment and closing the door with his leg.

When Chloe's hand wandered up his chest, then to his neck and finally to his smooth head, he moaned loudly and finally pulled away.

"Chloe…" he took a deep breath and closed his eyes to force his body under control. He couldn't just take her. He had to talk to her first.

"Lex…" She was crying and couldn't stop herself. "Come…" She took his hand and led him to her living room.

"Quite cozy apartment you have here," he told her as he looked around.

"It's not much, but I'm pretty proud of it," she said.

They sat down on Chloe's sofa, needed each other close. Chloe's hand still closed over his, stroking it gently.

"I'm sorry it took me so long… I couldn't…"

"I understand," she said. "But you're here now. Does that mean…?"

"I'm a free man. Not a billionaire anymore," he scoffed, "but they left me my grandparents' heritage. Couple of millions."

"Really? They had so much?"

"Yeah, my father grew his own business from it."

"So… you've come from billionaire to millionaire. It doesn't make that much of a difference to me," Chloe laughed.

Lex chuckled and then said, "I'm thinking of starting my own company, actually."

"That's amazing."

"And a foundation named after my grandparents."

"I'm proud of you."

"How are you?" He took a closer look at her and winced slightly, because the dark circles she had under her eyes and her tormented expression didn't miss his attention. He knew that very well as he'd been seeing it in the mirror for the last month.

"I was…" Chloe sighed, "miserable, without you. I would've given so much to be able to be by your bedside."

"Chloe, if you'd come with me to the safe house, you wouldn't have been able to come back home, to your dad. I'm sure he would've killed me."

"He might kill you even now," Chloe added bitterly.

"I'm not surprised. He probably thinks I don't deserve you and he's right."

"Lex, you can't say that…"

"You know what I thought I should do when I would be free?"

Chloe shook her head.

Lex looked down, avoiding her eyes.

"I wanted to disappear, walk away, so you could have a life you deserve."

"What?!" she raised her voice, clearly mad at him. "You did _what_?!"

"I'm here, aren't I?" he asked, sorrow evident in his voice. "After all I'm a coward, as my father always said. I couldn't stand up to him sooner and I couldn't let you go, because I'm that selfish."

"First of all, Lex Luthor," Chloe said, cupping his face to force him to look into her eyes, "you are not a coward, never have been. You're the bravest man I know. The moment you got shot… God… I thought… I wanted to be dead, too, so I wouldn't have to go through the pain of losing you, the only man I've ever loved."

"But… your father…"

"Exactly. My love for you is that huge. I would've given up my father for it. I know it's wrong to think like that, but I… I can't help it…" she started crying again.

"Hey, Chloe… I'm sorry, I won't leave you, I promise. I'm here," Lex tried to soothe her and took her into his arms.

It felt so surreal for her she was almost sure it was all a dream. He just came back. She had him back!

"Second of all…" she started again, but did not let him let her go. She wanted to stay in his arms forever. "The fact that you thought of giving me a chance at life with someone else, someone less… tainted… though I don't think you are tainted, Lex… just proved me how much you love me. And you came back. That proves even more how much you need me."

"Chloe…" he whispered and placed a kiss on her golden locks.

"I love you and I want you to promise me you will never leave. No matter what."

"I promise. I wouldn't. Can't you see that I can't breathe without you?"

She raised her face to his and, after a few seconds of looking into his eyes, she kissed him.

Now, when they at least talk a little, they could finally indulge themselves in other activities.

Chloe straddled him, trying to touch every part of his body at once while still kissing him and he was doing the same.

She suddenly felt his erection and started grazing her middle against it, pretty sure she was able to come just from that.

"Are you…" Lex started on seeing the look on her face, feeling her movement against his hardness. "Chloe…" he groaned, "Chloe…" He tried not to come in his pants.

Then Chloe felt her orgasm coming, shuddering shamelessly while she was still straddling him in her clothes on.

Lex closed his eyes, succeeded. He didn't come.

But when he opened them and saw Chloe, flushed all over, breathing heavily, looking at him like she wanted to eat him…

"Bedroom?" he asked and when she pointed the right door, he just took her into his arms and carried there.

"Just like the first time you carried me to your bed," she said while working on his neck.

"But this time we'll make some use of it," he told her and as soon as she was lying down, he hovered over her, taking all the clothes off her.

In the same time she tried to strip him off his clothes.

They didn't know how they undressed each other so effectively, but didn't care. Lex was finally lying naked on top of her, ravishing her mouth, then assaulting her breast. He had to be inside of her or he would really lose it.

"Lex… Lex… please… need you…" It still felt like a dream to Chloe, so she would not risk waking up before he would finally enter her.

Then she felt the head of his cock teasing her soaking entrance.

"Oh yes! Fuck me already!" she screamed.

But Lex stopped.

Chloe panicked.

"No! I don't want to wake up!"

"Chloe?" he asked, unsure of what was happening.

"I don't want to wake up! Please, please, stay…"

"Chloe!" he had to raise his voice, so she would stop panicking and just look at him. "Take a deep breath… that's it… now… I promise you, this is _not _a dream. I'm really here."

She could see the pained expression on his face. She knew he felt guilty for leaving her alone for so long. She could read it all from his face.

"I promise you, I will never leave," Lex repeated.

"Yes, I know. It's real… it's all real…" she finally agreed. "But… why did you stop?"

"I just reminded myself of a condom."

"No need," Chloe said, finally understanding it all and believing, "I'm on pills."

"Really?"

"Really. From two weeks now."

"Then…" He positioned himself again and entered her in one swift motion, burying himself all the way in, "in that case… never mind…" He started moving, pumping into her right away, couldn't wait any longer.

"Oh, yes… yes… yes…" She was meeting his thrusts, jerking her hips against him violently. Then she put her legs up and around his waist.

"God…" Lex uttered, "Chloe… killing me… love…" He raised to his knees, changing the angle and pumping into her more effectively.

"Yes! YEAH! Lex!" she screamed louder. He was all in, to the hilt, and she loved it, she wanted even more of him, she wanted to feel him in her, in her heart, in her mind. She was so much in love she was doomed, couldn't breathe without him.

And then, she finally came.

Lex groaned, uttered something incoherent that could be her name and came himself, in jerking spasms.

Then they were just lying there, he was still buried inside her, their arms around each other. They didn't want to let go.

* * *

"Dad, Lex Luthor," Chloe proudly introduced Lex to her father.

Gabe looked at him very attentively and then, he finally shook his hand.

Chloe had called her dad a few days ago to tell him Lex was back, but coming to Smallville had taken them a little bit longer. Gabe didn't really want to know what had stopped them from getting into the car and just driving to Smallville.

"Nice to finally meet you," he said but his expression didn't seem nice, it was suspicious.

"Dad, Lex is here to stay. Don't be like that."

"Don't worry, Chloe, it's understandable," Lex said, not feeling offended at all. "It's nice to finally put a face to a name, Mr. Sullivan. I've heard a lot about you. Chloe was missing you very much back in Russia."

"Really?" Gabe eyed him.

"Yes, sir. I wished back there that I could've returned her to you sooner, but it couldn't be done. Also, I'm the one who sent you that letter. I'm sorry I couldn't be more specific."

"Yes, yes… Chloe filled me in…" Gabe said, a little hesitantly.

Chloe knew his father too well not to figure it out. He'd been angry at Lex for the last month for just leaving her life that, but now… Lex seemed genuinely concerned about his daughter's well-being.

Gabe invited them in and, as he was listening to Lex, his face kept changing. Now he looked guilty, what actually made Chloe happy. Her dad knew he'd misjudged Lex.

And after Lex telling him it was all for Chloe, for her good, that he'd brought his father down for her, although he felt terrible for doing it so late and needed a catalyst, he'd decided to let Chloe go back to her father, even if he'd known he could die from that gun wound.

As he kept talking, Chloe was getting closer and closer to him, she was snuggling more and more into him, which did not miss her father's attention.

Gabe needed to apologize. Maybe Lex didn't seem like a prince for his Chloe bear at first, but the more he was getting to know him, the more he could recognize how tormented a soul that man had. He deserved happiness, as Chloe did.

Then, there was knocking.

Lana, Clark and Nell appeared.

"Lana, how are you? I hope you're doing much better," Lex showed his concern for the young girl.

Chloe was certain that that interest was the last drop. Gabe already loved his future son in law. Not that Chloe would tell him right away that she and Lex were engaged…

"This is my fiancé, Clark. I believe her wanted to thank you…" Lana started.

Yes, maybe it had started as a nightmare, but it'd gradually transformed into a beautiful dream.

And it was reality, Chloe thought with a smile on her face as she watched the man she loved talking to Clark. Maybe they would become friends?

The future would tell…

**The End**

**A/N **Hope it's not disappoint.

Till next time!


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